A New Jersey Jane gives it a shot…

By CJP | June 3, 2008

In addition to Montana and South Dakota, New Jersey holds its Congressional primaries today. On the ballot there: A seven-way Republican brawl for an open House seat that includes 31 year-old Kate Whitman.

Whitman is running as a moderate and, like other candidates you may know, is playing her opponents’ experience in politics against them, telling CQ Politics, “People in New Jersey are really fed up with politics as usual and sort of career politicians in general. So I think they want to see a change and I think I offer that.”

Her mom is Christine Todd Whitman, the former governor of New Jersey and EPA administrator under GWB, who admitted to “Glamour” that she was torn about her daughter getting into the family biz. “Part of me wanted to say, ‘Don’t do this- politics can be so nasty.’ But I can’t encourage other women to run for office and then tell my daughter no.” She also told Kate to turn off the Blackberry when she goes home to her young twin boys.

Below is a clip of Kate Whitman in a debate against one of her opponents in today’s match-up. We’ll keep you posted on how this one ends…

Topics: The States, Women in Politics

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