By The Staff
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Tom Kean Jr. is considered the lead contender for the 2020 NJ-7 Republican nomination.
On Tuesday? One of his party’s veteran North Jersey legislators hosted who might be TK2’s top primary rival at Phil Murphy’s budget FY 2020 address.
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Rosemary Becchi is a tax attorney and former U.S. Senate Finance Committee counsel. She’s also heading up a 501(c)4 non-profit called ‘Jersey First’ dedicated to pro-growth, low-tax economic solutions. Becchi sat on the floor during Murphy’s speech as a guest of Assemblywoman Betty Lou DeCroce (R-26) of Parsippany:
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Keeping an eye on @GovMurphy! @jrsyfrst on Assembly floor for #njbudget today with @BLDeCroce4NJ pic.twitter.com/d4xip2JgBi
— Jersey 1st (@Jrsy1st) March 5, 2019
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Becchi has yet to commit to the race but is widely viewed as making moves consistent with an early candidacy. One Republican — executive Tom Phillips of Scotch Plains — formally declared a primary candidacy to date.
Competition for the GOP nod could prove fierce. Republicans lost the NJ-07 seat for the first time in a long while last fall when Democrat Tom Malinowski unseated Republican incumbent Leonard Lance, himself a former state legislator.
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