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6:31

Welcome to PolitickerNJ.com’s coverage the third New Jersey gubernatorial debate.

In the two previous debates, both candidates who participated – Chris Christie and Steve Lonegan – claimed victory both times. This time, there will be a third candidate to declare victory after the hour is up: Assemblyman Rick Merkt (R-Mendham). Merkt, the only current elected official running for the Republican nomination, has raised little money and barely registers in the polls. But his participation may add an interesting twist to the by-now familiar tussle between Lonegan and Christie.

So far, the campaign between Lonegan and Christie has been dominated by the question of the state tax rate – whether we should continue using a progressive formula, or whether we should enact a flat tax, like Lonegan proposes. That will certainly be an issue tonight.

Merkt has gotten some praise for adding an articulate voice to the campaign, even if the word “quixotic” frequently arises in conversations about his run. Tonight, he’ll likely highlight his pet cause: changing the make-up of the State Supreme Court, even if the opportunities to do that during the next term will be limited. There’s also a controversial wildcard: will he bring up his allegation that Christie’s political allies tried to buy out of the race with the promise of a future job?

Coming into the debate, Christie has recently collected some newspaper endorsements, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New York Post – which was also the first time that paper has touched on this race.

But while Lonegan has not yet had an endorsement, arguably the holiest of conservative-leaning editorial pages – The Wall Street Journal – backed Lonegan’s flat tax plan and chastised Christie for taking “cheap shots” at it.

The debate, moderated by Eric Scott, is scheduled to start at 7:00 and last one hour.

And for those of you who can listen to a debate at a somewhat less convenient time, another one with all three candidates is scheduled for tomorrow on WOR 710 AM at 4pm.

6:35

Here's some pre-debate reading:

Campaign consultant Bill Pascoe, who ran Bret Schundler's successful 2001 Republican gubernatorial primary campaign (Schundler's general election race was not so successful), thinks that this might be Lonegan's "last chance to change the dynamic of the GOP gubernatorial primary campaign and overtake Christie in the final week."

http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/in_the_right/2009/05/new-jerseys-debate-is-tonight.html

6:38

Monmouth University pollster/political science professor Patrick Murray thinks the media should look at more than just the horse race numbers in the polls. Notes that voters rank property taxes as the number one issue, yet in his own poll -- largely ignored by reporters-- "less than half of the GOP primary electorate say they have heard any of the candidates articulate a plan on this issue, or indeed on just about any of the issues voters consider to be important."

http://www.politickernj.com/patrick-murray/30047/if-polls-are-be-believed

6:39	(that aspect of his poll was largely ignored -- not the poll itself)

6:40	Ledger/Record story with Merkt talking about his participation in tonight's debate, including the tidbit that he's "not saying no" to a future run for governor. http://www.northjersey.com/news/njpolitics/46040282.html

7:09	The candidate profile did not go easy on Christie: " He rarely offers specific ideas, and once opined it was his job to criticize, and not offer solutions"

7:10	That was in an interview with WNYC's Brian Lehrer. Democrats milked it for all it was worth, and will likely use it again should Christie prevail in the primary.

7:10	That's one week

7:10	No Lonegan

7:11	Stuck in traffic. He must be extremely frustrated listening to this right now.

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