New Jersey Governor Election

WOODBRIDGE, N.J.: Even with his opponent sidelined for a second day, Republican Bret Schundler faced a persistent foe Sunday as he sought votes in the race for governor: more polls showing him way behind.

Schundler sounded upbeat as he carried out a busy schedule around the northern half of the state. He visited a Garden State Parkway rest area to bash tolls before campaigning with New York Gov. George Pataki and former presidential candidate Steve Forbes.

Democrat Jim McGreevey, the front-runner in Tuesday's election, canceled all public events for a second consecutive day to be with his wife, Dina Matos McGreevey, who is seven months pregnant and was hospitalized on Saturday.

She was transferred Sunday to St. Peter's University Hospital in New Brunswick from Robert Wood Johnson Hospital at her doctor's direction. The hospital declined to reveal any information on her condition Sunday. On Saturday her condition was described as stable.

McGreevey's amended schedule for Sunday had included only one public event, an education rally in Highland Park. Democratic supporters went on without him.

The rally featured the state's current teacher of the year, Barbara LaSaracina of Warren Middle School. She said she is a Republican who will vote for McGreevey because Schundler's school-choice plan would remove money from public schools.

Two polls released Sunday showed McGreevey has increased his lead. A Gannett New Jersey poll put McGreevey ahead by 22 percentage points; a Star-Ledger/Rutgers-Eagleton survey put the lead at 16 points. Both polls had a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points. "I think it's a blowout," said Cliff Zukin, a Rutgers University political science professor and director of the Star-Ledger poll. Schundler discounted the polls, saying they reflect media exposure rather than voter passion.

"Our people are so much more dedicated," Schundler said. "His folks believe what they believe because of all the television and radio advertising."

One supporter delivered a gift to Schundler: a book titled "Never Give Up."

But privately and publicly, many Schundler supporters are pessimistic.

"He's a decent guy and he's got a lot of great ideas," said radio host Bob Grant, "but I wouldn't bet on him come Tuesday."

At Grant's invitation, Schundler began his Sunday with a stop at the Reo Diner in Woodbridge, the town McGreevey has led as mayor since 1992.

Supporters of both candidates assembled outside with competing signs and competing chants; Woodbridge police showed up to keep order.

Schundler quipped that he made the stop in McGreevey's backyard "because I just want people to know if they hold on for two days, liberation's coming."

At the Cheesequake Rest Area, along the southbound express lanes of the Garden State Parkway, Schundler reiterated his promise to eliminate all parkway tolls in his first year as governor.

Fewer than 20 supporters greeted Schundler at the rally sponsored by Citizens Against Tolls. A leader of the group said other people were spending the day passing out leaflets for Schundler.

Schundler called tolls "the most senseless tax we have." and predicted he will be remembered 20 years from now as "the guy who got rid of the Parkway tolls."

But there were reminders Sunday that Schundler is already known as a candidate unable to unite his own party around his candidacy.

In a television interview this weekend, Acting Gov. Donald T. DiFrancesco confirmed he will not endorse his fellow Republican "for personal reasons, which are too numerous to name here."

DiFrancesco blames Schundler for leaking stories about his business dealings that prompted DiFrancesco to drop out of the race for the Republican nomination for governor.

Schundler said the dispute revolves not around personalities but around issues, such as his call to let voters decide whether the state should help build a new sports arena in Newark.

"I would love to have Don on our side," Schundler said. "But Don has made a decision that because I believe in different things than he does, that he's going to stay out of this race. That's the way it is."

Also Sunday, some Schundler supporters distributed voter guides produced by CatholicVote.org, a Washington group. The pamphlets emphasize Schundler's opposition to abortion and support for school choice.

(Copyright 2001 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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Author: 6 ABC - Action News