BASHAW TO GOVERNOR MURPHY: APPOINT A STATESMAN TO THE SENATE, NOT A CANDIDATE FOR THE SEAT…BECAUSE THERE ARE PLENTY OF OPTIONS

CAPE MAY—Curtis Bashaw, New Jersey Republican candidate for United States Senate, today issued the following statement:

“In the wake of Bob Menendez’s conviction, there is an increasing likelihood that Governor Murphy will have the opportunity to appoint an individual to fill an open seat in the United States Senate. While Andy Kim has been campaigning against me in the November election, he has also begun to shamelessly openly campaign for the Governor’s appointment as well.

“Should there be an open Senate seat, I am calling upon Governor Murphy to do the right thing and follow New Jersey tradition: rise above politics and appoint a statesman or stateswoman who will honorably carry out the duties of senator in caretaker fashion until New Jerseyans go to the polls this November to make the choice for themselves who their senator will be…me or Andy Kim.

“History is on the side of Murphy doing the right thing and appointing a caretaker for the seat, not a candidate for the office. In 1982, United States Senator Harrison Williams resigned in disgrace. Governor Kean did not appoint someone who was a candidate for that November’s Senate race to the open seat; rather, Kean appointed Nicholas Brady, who did not seek election to his appointed seat (and later became Secretary of the Treasury). Kean did the right thing and allowed the 1982 election to be run fairly and without the prejudice of a candidate from that November’s election to already have been appointed to the seat.

“In 2013, upon the death of Senator Frank Lautenberg, Governor Chris Christie appointed the sitting Attorney General, Jeff Chiesa, to the seat. Similar to Brady, Chiesa served with distinction during his caretaking role as senator, and then left office without seeking a full term in that November’s election.

“The exception? Governor Jon Corzine in 2006, who filled his own open senate seat with…Bob Menendez, who did not merely serve as a caretaker for the seat, but also ran for the seat himself later that year. How did that work out for us?

“If you listen to Andy Kim, there is no other person who should be appointed to the seat than himself. I have a different view.

“Knowing that Governor Murphy will undoubtedly appoint a member of his own Democrat Party to the seat, I feel there are many Democrats who could possibly fill the open seat in credible fashion until New Jersey voters decide – for themselves – who their next United States Senator will be. Here are just a few:

Rob Andrews

Tom Byrne

Richard Codey

Wayne DeAngelo

Jeh Johnson

Nia Gill

Vin Gopal

Linda Greenstein

Patrick Kennedy

Ray Lesniak

Tom Malinowski

Anne Milgram

Vincent Prieto

Steve Rothman

Teresa Ruiz

Mikie Sherrill

Sean Spiller

Jon Stewart

Tahesha Way

“To be clear, my politics are different than these individuals, but more importantly, I disagree with Andy Kim’s shameful idea that power should be taken away from New Jersey voters this November just so he can try to get a leg up for November’s election against me. New Jerseyans trust that Governor Murphy will do the right thing, not what Andy Kim wants.”

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