Like a lot of people, Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty was looking forward to a Cory Booker-Chris Christie gubernatorial showdown in 2013.
“Of course I’m disappointed, like many Democrats, that he’s not running for governor,” the Morristown mayor said of the Newark mayor’s decision to explore a 2014 senate run instead.
“However,” Mayor Dougherty added, “I respect his choice. He has a lot of work to do in Newark. I think he will make a great U.S. senator if he chooses that path. Look at his national exposure. That may be the right political step.”
Mayor Dougherty works at the Prudential Center in Newark and is friendly with Cory Booker, who came to the Morristown Green in October to campaign for President Obama and Morris County Democrats.
How will Cory’s decision to refocus from Trenton to Washington affect Tim’s political future?
While local politicos like pondering such questions, Mayor Dougherty insisted on Friday that his attention remains squarely on Morristown, where he is expected to formally announce his candidacy for a second mayoral term next month.
“I am focused on Morristown. There’s a lot of work going on, a lot of future growth in Morristown, that will keep me very busy for the next several years,” he said.