Calling homeland security the most important issue of these times, former state Sen. Brian T. Kennedy of Wall would like to challenge Sen. Frank Lautenberg, and said he plans to discuss the matter with GOP State Chairman Tom Wilson and Monmouth County GOP Chief Adam Puharic.
"I am very, very seriously thinking about this," said Kennedy, 73, who served in the state Senate from 1977 to 1983, before losing to Democrat Frank Pallone.
"The only guys left from my era who are still in the state Senate are Dick Codey, Ray Lesniak and Gerry Cardinale," said Kennedy, who prior to his tour of the Upper House, served in the General Assembly from 1971-73, before losing re-election with many of his fellow party members in the fallout from Watergate. He won re-election two years later and served again in the Assembly, this time from 1975-77.
Kennedy later ran two unsuccessful elections for U.S. Congress against the late Rep. James J. Howard, losing a close contest in 1984 and then getting more decisively beaten in 1986.
In 1994, Kennedy tried to challenge Lautenberg, but lost the GOP primary to then-Assembly Speaker Garabed "Chuck" Haytaian. He captured about a third of the vote in a two-way race.
"I learned you don’t run in an off year because a lot of independents don’t come out," said Kennedy, who ran once more against Pallone in 2000 and lost, that time for the latter’s congressional seat.
With Anne Evans Estabrook out of the race and two candidates he said he barely knows (Joseph Pennacchio and Murray Sabrin) now serving as co-standard bearers of the party in their respective U.S. Senate bids, Kennedy, a West Point graduate and soldier-lawyer who worked military court martials before mustering out at Fort Monmouth, presents himself as a John McCain-like conservative.
Personally he likes U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg. "Like me, he’s an example that with age comes wisdom and experience," said Kennedy.
But when it comes to homeland security, Kennedy said Lautenberg has been in lock step with a Democratic Party that projects weakness and ill-preparedness.
"He’s dropped the ball in not insisting that more be done on this issue," said Kennedy. "I would have done more than he has. I would have put port security at the head of the line. I just don’t think the Democrats in general see this. They play down homeland security when we have these Jihadists out there who are a serious threat. I’m very concerned."
Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, Kennedy has run his own law firm down the Shore since the mid 1960s, and does jack of all trades trial work.
"I have always loved the law and politics," he said.
Kennedy can’t self finance and said he intends to travel to Washington, D.C. to build GOP support at the national level for a potential late entry into the U.S. Senate race.
