UPDATE: Cobb to Challenge Norcross

Garry Cobb (left) and a very enthused Eagles fan on the right, a/k/a Matt Rooney

By Matt Rooney | The Save Jersey Blog

UPDATE #2

We reconfirmed today’s big CD1 news tonight, Save Jerseyans: our sources were right; Garry Cobb is a candidate for Congress! I caught up with him at the Camden County Republican Committee meeting in Haddon Township…

Garry Cobb

UPDATE #1

Nothing is ever smooth for the South Jersey GOP… ever…

An update: Camden GOP Chairman Tom Booth told WHYY that Cobb is definitely in, as reported both here and at NJ.com. An Inky political reporter, however, cites an unnamed Cobb “friend” who says he hasn’t yet made a final decision. NorthJersey.com cites a friend (the same?) who says he’s “leaning” toward a run

Sounds to me like the end result isn’t in dispute so much as perhaps the timing of the announcement? We’ll sort it out and give you an update asap…

ORIGINAL

 

Garry Cobb
Garry Cobb

We can finally confirm that former Philadelphia Eagle Garry Cobb (R-Cherry Hill) will, according to sources familiar with GOP deliberations, run as a Republican to succeed departing Rep. Rob Andrews in New Jersey’s First Congressional District.

It won’t be the easiest game of Cobb’s career. The 11-year NFL veteran 6′ 2” linebacker faces a stiff offensive line running against the formidable Norcross Machine in a D+13 district dominated by Democrat-leaning Camden County towns.

GOP leaders nevertheless hope that the WIP talk show star retains sufficient name recognition to make a go of it despite long odd and, of course, the fact that no Republican has held the seat since 1975… four years before Cobb was drafted by the Detroit Lions…

News of Cobb informal entry into the contest comes only days after Rob Andrews took the political world off-guard by announcing his February 18th resignation from the House of Representatives. State Senator Donald Norcross is the early frontrunner for the Democrat nomination.

CD1 includes the Burlington County towns of Maple Shade Township and Palmyra, the Camden County municipalities of Audubon, Audubon Park, Barrington, Bellmawr, Berlin, Berlin Township, Brooklawn, Camden, Cherry Hill Township, Chesilhurst, Clementon, Collingswood, Gibbsboro,Gloucester City, Gloucester Township, Haddon Heights, Haddon Township, Haddonfield, Hi-Nella, Laurel Springs, Lawnside, Lindenwold, Magnolia, Merchantville, Mount Ephraim, Oaklyn, Pennsauken Township, Pine Hill, Pine Valley, Runnemede, Somerdale, Stratford, Tavistock, Voorhees Township, Winslow Township, and Woodlynne, in addition to the Gloucester County communities of Deptford Township, East Greenwich Township (part, remainder in 2nd district), Glassboro Greenwich Township, Logan Township, Monroe Township, National Park,PaulsboroWashington Township, Wenonah, West Deptford TownshipWestville, Woodbury Heights, and Woodbury.

Matt Rooney
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MATT ROONEY is SaveJersey.com's founder and editor-in-chief, a practicing New Jersey attorney, and the host of 'The Matt Rooney Show' on 1210 WPHT every Sunday evening from 7-10PM EST.

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