Diane Gooch, publisher of the Two River Times and wife of Wall Street gazillionaire Mickey Gooch, is thinking about challenging longtime Democratic Congressman Frank Pallone when he’s up for re-election.
The Rumson resident, who hasn’t before run for office at any level, confirmed to PolitickerNJ.com that she’s considering a run, though she sought to tamp down rumors that she and her husband are willing to put up $2 million to back her.
From the article:
“This is something that we haven’t really figured out yet,” she said. “Any number would be completely wrong. I don’t know what we’re going to spend at this point if I’m going to run.”
One potential problem for Gooch, according to Politicker: she doesn’t live in the district for which she’d be seeking a seat. The sixth twists its way from Asbury Park to Plainfield, narrowly bypassing Rumson.
But the article notes that the federal law requires only that a member of Congress live in the state in which his or her district is situated, not within the district itself. And Gooch already has a response to the residency question.
“I think Frank Pallone lives in Washington, so I’m much closer than he is,” said Gooch. “Literally, I’m on the line, so whether I cross the line or not, it’s right there. I think people care more about how you’re going to vote for them as opposed to if you live 50 feet left or right.”
Pallone, of Long Branch, has served in D.C. since he was elected as the third-district representative in 1988. Portions of that district were merged into a new sixth district in 1992.
