Report: Geraldo Rivera Exploring a New Jersey Senate Bid?

Report: Geraldo Rivera Exploring a New Jersey Senate Bid?

Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera announced on his radio show that he is “truly contemplating” a Republican run for the Senate in New Jersey.

“I mention this only briefly, fasten your seatbelt,” Rivera said on his Thursday’s broadcast. “I mentioned this only briefly to my wife … but I am and I’ve been in touch with some people in the Republican Party in New Jersey. I am truly contemplating running for Senate against Frank Lautenberg or Cory Booker.”

New Jersey Senator, Democrat Frank Lautenberg, 89, comes up for re-election in the coming 2014 midterms but has yet to say if he’ll run again.

During his show, Geraldo spoke to his Fox News commitments.

“I’m not going to drill this out, because obviously I’ve got commitments to Fox and to here at the radio program and I’m really having a great time. But I figure at my age, if I’m going to do it I’ve got to do it. And there doesn’t seem to be any Republicans ready to work against or run against Corey Booker, the popular Newark mayor.”

No GOP candidate has officially announced a run for the seat, but some possible candidates might be GOP Assembly leader Jon Brammick, State Senator Joe Kyrillos, and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.

Garden State politicos feel Newark Mayor Corey Booker has the inside track on taking the seat and keeping it in the hands of the Democrat Party. Booker has announced that he is “exploring the possibility of running” for the Senate, but has yet to fully commit.

Lautenberg has since joked about “spanking” Booker over the temerity of his announcement of a possible run against the elder politician in the upcoming Democrat primary.

If Geraldo wins the seat, he’d be the first Republican Senator from New Jersey since Clifford Chase left office in 1979.

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