Oliver Insists Senate Campaign Is 'Full Steam Ahead'

With a shortened election season, time is of the essence for U.S. Senate seat candidates, especially in the crowded field of four Democratic hopefuls facing a primary election in a little more than a month.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker has wasted no time racking up scads of endorsements from a large section of state Democratic organizations, has launched a full campaign website and began airing a television commercial.

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6) also has a significant online presence and has challenged his Senate primary rivals to debates and to sign a pledge to keep Political Action Committee money out of the campaign. U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (D-12 also has a full website and a web ad and has taken public jabs at both Booker and Pallone.

All candidates have been out at public events shaking hands and stumping at various events throughout the state.

But where is Sheila Oliver (D-34)?

The state Assembly speaker announced her run for U.S. Senate on June 10, shortly after Gov. Chris Christie announced the Oct. 16 special election to fill the seat of late Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

Oliver said she made her decision to join the race when she saw that no other women had.

"When I saw no woman’s name emerge," Oliver told The Star-Ledger at the time, "I made my decision."

But since then Oliver has made no policy statements, issued no campaign press releases nor announcements about campaign hiring. She has minimal online presence: No campaign website, no Twitter account, and it’s been a month since she’s posted to her lightly used Facebook page when she remarked on June 3 about Lautenberg’s death.

Oliver said on Monday that her Senate run was trumped by her legislative duties. The State Legislature wrapped up its work on Thursday.  With that out of the way, Oliver insisted that she is making a serious bid for federal office.

“It’s full steam ahead,’’ Oliver said.

Oliver said her competitors were already at a relative advantage.

“You have two who are already in Congress and one who had been planning to run regardless of the death of Senator Lautenberg,’’ Oliver said. “They were in a totally different position.’’

But Oliver said she has been making contacts and establishing a network of supporters throughout the state.

“This is an extremely different strategy than if you had a regular campaign cycle,’’ Oliver said.