A "Nail Biter" of a Race

Not since 1952 has a Representative successfully toppled an incumbent Senator's bid in a primary.  However, Rep. Robert Andrews of the New Jersey 1st is hoping to defeat 4-term incumbent Sen. Frank Lautenberg in the New Jersey primary on June 3rd.  

This race bears striking similarities to the ongoing (and seemingly never ending) presidential primaries: Andrews is about 30 years younger than his opponent, and Democrats nationwide will be watching this race to see how voters react to the difference in age and experience. Current polling has Andrews trailing Lautenberg 21-52%.  Lautenberg's bid for reelection was somewhat surprising; he had retired in 2000, only to be resurrected to replace Sen. Robert Torricelli.  Many, including Andrews, had assumed that Lautenberg was interested in only serving out the rest of Torricelli's term and then retreating back into retirement.

Adding to the intrigue of the race, Andrews's wife, Camille, has just filed as a candidate to fill her husband's open House seat.  Many are speculating whether this is a ploy to ensure that Andrews will still have a seat in Congress should his senatorial bid not work out, but he has assured voters that "I'm not coming back to the House."  Whether Camille Andrews, or one of her competitors, will run is to be decided, not by primary vote, but by a group of party bosses.  This method of candidate selection is similar to the pre-Progressive Era reforms, where a small group of party leaders decides who is the strongest and best candidate to run.  The New Jersey 1st is considered to be a "safe seat" for the Democrats, so the question isn't really "Who will run in Andrews's place?" but "Who will fill Andrews's seat?"