Anna C. Little

Anna Little has definitely won the nomination in New Jersey's 6th District, as Diane Gooch rescinded the earlier recount vows by her staff, formally conceded defeat, and endorsed Little's candidacy in the November general election.

Little won by 84 votes, after the last of the provisional ballots in Monmouth County was vetted and, when appropriate, counted. Yesterday, Gooch's spokeswoman, Toni Angelini, said that the Gooch campaign would formally request a recount--but she never said when.

Today, according to reports by Matt Friedman of The Star-Ledger (Newark), Alex Isenstadt at Politico.com, and NJToday.com, Gooch answered that question, and the answer is: never.

Having carefully reviewed the final count for the CD6 Republican primary, I have decided against asking for a recount. I am grateful for the experience I have gained in running and for all of the wonderful new friends I have made along the way.

Those friends arguably include Little, because Gooch gracefully gave the Highlands mayor her whole-hearted endorsement:

We both want smaller government, lower taxes, and to encourage job growth through the private sector. Today, I step out of the race for Congress in CD6 and voice my support for Anna Little for Congress.

If Gooch means what she said above, then that support could be very important. On the one hand, Little beat Gooch even though Gooch held "The Line" (that is, the endorsements of the Regular Republican Organizations in Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, and Union Counties), is the publisher of a weekly newspaper (The Twin River Times) widely read in the district, and is an experienced fundraiser. In fact, she out-raised Little nearly twenty to one--though according to OpenSecrets.org, Gooch actually out-spent Little by slightly more than ten to one.

C3 seal

Yet Gooch still lost. This indicates that political "machine" endorsements, media alliances, and funding aren't enough anymore. And if it wasn't enough for Gooch, then it will not be enough for Democratic incumbent Frank Pallone. He has held that district for 22 years--and in this Tea Party era, that might be more of a problem than a help.

Little became renowned, according to Paul Mulshine of The Star-Ledger, for her "ground game": supporters willing to go door-to-door, and a willingness by Little herself to meet the people where they live. She also has the respect of the Tea Party movement, and the recommendation of the new Certified Constitutional Candidate (C3) program. In fact she is the only C3-certified candidate to "beat The Line."

Mulshine's commentary came out this morning, and he strongly advised Gooch against a recount and further advised other Republican leaders to discourage such an exercise. Whether Gooch was taking Mulshine's advice, or decided against a recount on her own, is impossible to determine. Mulshine also had a broader message: that Little's victory, especially against "the establishment," was a sign of a significant shift to the right for the Republican Party in New Jersey.

Mulshine has a point. As he reported, Governor Chris Christie endorsed Gooch, while his old primary opponent, Steve Lonegan, endorsed Little. Now that Little has won, Mulshine expects Christie to repudiate most of the "moderate" positions that he took in last year's governor's primary and to continue to speak--and govern--like a conservative.

The more salient issue in the 6th District is whether Little can take on Pallone and win. The 6th District has traditionally been a "safe" seat for Democrats. Gore (61 percent), Kerry (57 percent), and Obama all carried the District in their respective Presidential elections. But Pallone never faced a candidate quite like Little, and for that reason alone, all bets are off.

This article is part of the C3 series.

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