Fox News correspondent Geraldo Rivera, who has been toying with the idea of running for the GOP nomination in a possible U.S. Senate race in New Jersey, says that the death of Senator Frank Lautenberg this morning “effectively ends” his campaign.
New Jersey governor Chris Christie will pick Lautenberg’s replacement, and unless he picks Rivera, there probably won’t be any primary fight.
“I think this effectively ends my speculation that I would run for the Senate,” Rivera said on his radio program today.
“I think it’s a very, very long shot that Governor Christie would even think of appointing me,” Rivera added. “I haven’t been vetted. I’ve only toyed with the idea of running. However, if I ran, I have a very specific platform and I think listeners of this program are aware that you can be a Republican and not be a tea party conservative.”
Rivera first revealed his plan to run for Senate at the end of January, and maintained that it was not a joke or gimmick, but that he was dead serious about running. it was serious enough that FNC management kept an eye on it, to make sure to take action if it reached a certain point.