Sen. Codey Expects Nod From GOP Leaders

Prominent Democratic Sen. Richard Codey expects to get key endorsements on Tuesday from Republican politicians in his re-election bid.

The former governor is campaigning for the first time in towns outside his Essex stronghold in the newly redrawn 27th district, which straddles parts of Essex and Morris counties.

Codey hopes these endorsements will show he can win support in Republican enclaves like Millburn, Harding, Chatham Township, East Hanover, Hanover and Madison.

He faces Morris County Tea Party candidate, William Eames of Whippany, co-founder of the Morris Patriots in the .

The challenger is a former executive director of local chambers of commerce and a resident of Whippany for nearly 30 years. Eames is co-founder of the Morris Patriots, a Tea Party organization, and coordinator of Grassroots-NJ.

While the 27th District still leans Democratic, Codey said he’s not taking his re-election bid lightly. "I'm going to campaign. I've been campaigning and I'm not going to stop until November,” Codey said after the spring primary.

The press conference will be Tuesday at 9:30 a.m., at the Hanover Marriott, 1401 Route 10 E, Whippany.