Alex Zdan, a former News 12 New Jersey reporter who frequently sparred with Gov. Phil Murphy during the COVID-19 pandemic, took his first steps today to join the race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination by entering GOP conventions in Hunterdon and Somerset counties.
Zdan has been mulling a Senate run, but filing deadlines in the two Central Jersey counties required him to submit letters of intent to county Republican leaders to preserve the option of competing for organization lines.
Another potential candidate, Melinda Ciattarelli, did the same thing.
Three other candidates have asked to be on the convention ballots in Hunterdon and Somerset: Mendham Mayor Christina Serrano Glassner, businessman Curtis Bashaw, and perennial candidate Gregg Mele, the 2021 Libertarian candidate for governor. Newcomer Michael Estrada submitted a letter of intent in Hunterdon but not Somerset.
Earlier this week, Zdan launched a campaign-style video and website, which seeks email addresses but does not indicate that he’s running for office.
Zdan, 38, covered Menendez’s 2017 corruption trial and Murphy’s governorship for nearly six years and developed relationships across the state as the host of News 12’s weekly Power & Politics show. He won extensive praise from Democrats and Republicans after he became a victim of massive layoffs at News 12 in October.