he decision by Frank Lautenberg (D, NJ) to retire has set off a heated race for his Senate seat. New Jersey's primaries take place on Tuesday, June 6th. On the Democratic side, former governor Jim Florio is engaged in a brutal contest with Wall Street financier Jon Corzine. The wide-open Republican race finds Murray Sabrin—professor of finance at Ramapo College in Mahwah—battling Congressman Bob Franks, state Senator Bill Gormley, and Essex County Executive Jim Treffinger for the party's nomination. Polls show that none of the GOP candidates have more than 15 percent support.

An unvarnished conservative, Sabrin ran in the 1997 New Jersey gubernatorial race as a Libertarian, and surprised pundits by gaining five percent of the vote. NRO interviewed Sabrin about his campaign and his chances of victory on June 6.

NRO: Murray, you've never held public office. You are a relative newcomer to the Republican Party, and to politics. Why should a Republican voter pull the "Sabrin" lever next Tuesday?

Sabrin: They should do it because I am the only candidate who represents the core values of the Republican Party — limited government, personal responsibility, free enterprise, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, anti-affirmative action. I have embraced these principals for the past 31 years. I rejoined the GOP in January 1999 after a 24-year absence when I was an independent. As for not holding political office, it isn't a handicap in American politics. Bill Bradley and Frank Lautenberg never held political office and they were elected to the Senate.

My personal history also resonates with many voters. I'm an immigrant — I came to America in 1949 when I was two-and-a-half years old. My parents never had welfare, food stamps, or government assistance. I certainly didn't have bilingual education. And yet we succeeded by the same way millions of other immigrants have, by hard work, a strong family, and taking responsibility for one's actions. People admire that.

NRO: What's the latest polling data saying about how the race is shaping up?

Sabrin: All polls show that at least 50 percent of voters are undecided a week before the election, which shows that a lot of people are still unfamiliar with the candidates. Historically, conservative voters tend to tilt the balance of power, especially in a multi-candidate primary. We're confident that the undecided vote, who tend to be more conservative, will vote for me as they realize that I am the candidate who represents the core principles of the Republican Party. In addition, undeclared voters can vote for me in the primary by declaring to vote in the Republican Primary on June 6 — we're actively seeking those voters.

NRO: What groups have endorsed you?

Sabrin: I've been endorsed by New Jersey Right to Life, the state's official NRA affiliate, Gun Owners of New Jersey, the Coalition of Sportsmen, Eagle Forum, the Republican National Committee for Life, and the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons, because of my stand for restoring the doctor-patient relationship and promoting medical savings accounts. I've also been endorsed by Representative Ron Paul of Texas — he was recently voted the Taxpayers' "Best Friend" by the National Taxpayers Union — state Assemblyman Mike Carroll, as well as dozens of other local officials.

NRO: Political strategists always counsel candidates to limit the issues they push to three. What are your trio?

Sabrin: The general theme of our campaign is ending the era of political correctness. That would entail ending the progressive income tax ,which hurts states like NJ which have higher incomes than the rest of the nation, and the estate tax. I want to downsize the bloated federal budget by eliminating wasteful and unnecessary agencies like HUD, Commerce, Energy, Education, and others like the National Endowment for the Arts. And I want to abolish most of the regulatory rules that are diving the country, like affirmative action, and environmental extremist legislation like the auto emissions test in New Jersey. On foreign policy, I want to end "Wag the Bill" wars overseas.

NRO: Does your 1997 Libertarian Party gubernatorial bid help or hurt your chances for victory on Tuesday?

Sabrin: I think it helps in that it gave me visibility throughout the state as a credible candidate for office. And essentially I am promoting now what I promoted back then — the core values of limited government and deregulation. I also campaigned on ending partial birth abortion.

NRO: You win the primary. You win the general election. You are sworn in as Senator Sabrin. Now what do you do?

Sabrin: I work with other leading conservatives in the Senate and the House to set the Congressional agenda for the next several years to cut taxes, downsize government, eliminate unnecessary Cabinet departments and agencies, restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments, and restore our constitutional rights that have been eroded over the last few decades, such as freedom of speech and freedom of association, the right to bear arms.

NRO: Your opponents are calling themselves conservative? Are they?

Sabrin: Not at all. For example, Bob Franks recently voted in Congress to increase taxes. He supports a budget that is balanced on the backs of the people of New Jersey. He voted for the airline tax, and voted not to cut the gasoline tax. He is pro-abortion. He supports taxpayer funding of pornography and anti-Catholic art. He supported Clinton's "Wag the Dog" war in Kosovo. He is pro-affirmative action and anti-Second Amendment. He voted four times for fetal harvesting — cutting up aborted babies and selling them on the open market. The other Republican candidates basically agree with him on these issues.

In fact, they all support the McCain-Feingold so-called campaign finance reform bill, which will weaken the Republican Party and give more control of the political process to the liberal media and their allies in the Democratic Party.

They also support trade embargoes which would deny food and medicine to innocent people suffering under the oppression of dictators around the world. I believe it is immoral to deny innocent people food and medicine, and I will work to lift any trade embargo which punishes people because of the sins of their political leaders.

NRO: So, are you the only conservative in the race?

Sabrin: Absolutely, given my positions on affirm action, government spending, the Second Amendment, and other core issues. I take the Ronald Reagan approach to minimalist government. The others don't.

NRO: How is the media treating your candidacy?

Sabrin: I wish they would be more accurate on coverage of my positions, and not harp on issues they think I support when I don't. Take the issue of the Libertarian Party's platform support for legalizing drugs and prostitution. The media is highlighting this. I support the medicinal uses of currently prohibited substances to ease pain and treat illness. And I certainly don't support prostitution — it's an immoral activity that current laws across the country appropriately handle.

NRO: For more information about your campaign where should people go?

Sabrin: They should check out www.murraysabrin.com.