A piece of the New Jersey Senate race puzzle fell into place last week when Republican Gov. Christine Todd Whitman announced she was forming a fundraising committee in preparation for a Senate bid next year. Whitman's candidacy seemed inevitable since Feb. 18, when Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg announced he would not seek another term.
Although Whitman would not publicly commit to the race, national and state Republicans appeared comfortable in their belief that Whitman would run and there was no buzz around Washington or Trenton about other potential candidates. Now, there is little question that Republicans have gotten the strongest candidate they could in Whitman.
Next, attention will turn to the Democratic field and the party's uphill fight to retain this seat. Democrats are under a great deal of pressure here — both because of the importance of keeping the seat in their column and because it is the home state of Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Robert Torricelli.
But Torricelli is caught between his desire to hold onto the seat and the knowledge that a campaign against Whitman will
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