Morris County broker is Libertarian nominee for US Senate
Move over, Andy Kim and Tammy Murphy.
Parsippany resident Ken Kaplan is joining a field of political heavyweights in the race to replace Bob Menendez in the U.S. Senate.
Kaplan, a commercial real estate broker, was nominated by acclamation last Sunday by the New Jersey Libertarian Party and needs only 800 petition signatures to get his name on the November ballot.
A veteran underdog of state campaigns, Kaplan, 76, has represented the party in previous New Jersey elections for the Senate and the governor’s office.
He said he went to the Libertarian convention in New Brunswick last weekend with no plans to run.
“It was a surprise to me,” he said.
The New Jersey Libertarian Party had 24,438 members in 2023, state records show. That’s a fraction of the registered Democrats (2,547,517) and Republicans (1,555,014) in the state but significantly more than any other party. There were almost 2.4 million unaffiliated voters registered in 2023, according to the state.
A graduate of Brandeis University and NYU Law School, Kaplan finished third with 7,935 votes in the 1993 race for the governor’s office, when Republican Christine Todd Whitman bested incumbent Jim Florio to become New Jersey’s first female governor.
Kaplan ran again in 2009 and 2013, losing both times to Chris Christie and receiving a high of 12,155 votes in 2013. Between those campaigns, he ran for the U.S. Senate in 2012, finishing third behind Menendez with 16,803 votes.
With a certified petition bearing the necessary signatures, Kaplan will again appear on the general election ballot. New Jersey law allows only the Democratic and Republican parties to conduct primary elections.
Libertarian on taxes, immigration
He is still in the process of forming a campaign committee but already has his platform outlined.
Reflecting libertarian priorities, Kaplan said he is emphasizing individual liberty and wants to reduce the size and scope of the federal government.
“If we want to shrink the deficit, we have to shrink the government,” Kaplan said. He favors what he sees as a Constitution-supported process to fund the federal government with existing excise taxes. He would eliminate the federal income tax. He also emphasizes a “reasonable” approach to immigration.
“All four of my own grandparents were immigrants, so I certainly value what immigrants can contribute to this country,” he said. But the process to enter the country should include background checks to screen out criminals and terrorists, he said. (Such checks are already required for those seeking asylum, green cards, refugee status and other official channels to immigrate to the country, according to the U.S. State Department.)
Kaplan’s platform also includes declassifying marijuana as a Schedule I drug.
Who’s running for Senate?
Kaplan will have to wait until June to see the general election field completed.
Menendez, under indictment for alleged corruption, has not announced whether he will seek the Democratic Party’s nomination again. In his absence, New Jersey first lady Tammy Murphy and U.S. Rep. Andy Kim are waging a high-profile primary battle to collect county endorsements. The Democratic field also includes Patricia Campos-Medina, Kevin Cupples, Lawrence Hamm and Patrick Merrill.
On the GOP side, Mendham Mayor Christine Serrano-Glassner is seen by some as the front-runner in a large field that also includes former News 12 reporter Alex Zdan. Curtis Bashaw, Michael Estrada, Albert Harshaw and Justin Murphy also are declared candidates.