TOMS RIVER -- As Republicans head to the polls today to pick a candidate for governor, the latest poll of likely voters finds the race too close to call between former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler and West Windsor businessman Douglas Forrester.
"It's wide open," Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore said on the eve of the election.
Forrester slipped badly in the final week of the campaign, while Schundler, finally able to air some television advertising, picked up steam.
When the Quinnipiac University poll asked voters who they favored, it was Forrester with 35 percent and Schundler with 33 percent.
"The race has been tighter than the polls indicated," Gilmore said. "I discount polls. People are skeptical when they get a call asking to take part in a poll. Some intentionally give fictional answers."
The latest Quinnipiac poll showed among five other GOP candidates Morris County Freeholder John Murphy was their leader, but far behind Schundler and Forrester, with just seven percent of the vote.
Washington Township businessman Robert Schroeder, the candidate backed by the Ocean GOP, had just two percent of the vote.
It had been Forrester over Schundler 40-29 percent in the June 1 poll by the same university.
Ten percent of those asked were still undecided about who they will vote for today, while nearly a third of those backing Forrester and Schundler said they might change their mind.
Among Forrester voters, 33 percent said they might take their vote elsewhere. Among Schundler voters, the soft support was 31 percent.
Head to head, it was Forrester, who has spent millions of dollars of his own money on the race, over Schundler, 49-41 percent.
"No candidate in this race has generated great excitement among Republican voters," observed Clay F. Richards, assistant director of the poll.
"It now comes down to which contender does the best job of getting his voters to the polls. Doug Forrester clings to the narrowest of leads, but his multi-million dollar advertising blitz has failed to establish the strong lead he hoped for," Richard said.
"Bret Schundler, meanwhile, hasn't been able to rise above the 33 percent mark in any of the polls during the primary season," he said.
Gilmore said the outcome will depend on the weather today and which candidate can get his supporters to the poll.
"The Ocean County organization will give its endorsed candidates the use of our facilities to get the vote out," he said. That traditionally has been the use of the Route 37 headquarters and will be again today, Gilmore said.
He is forecasting a light vote. Others predict it could be as low as 30 percent in the county.
Today's Republican winner will likely face U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., who is heavily favored over two little-known challengers in today's Democratic primary.
"Whoever wins will need Ocean in November," Gilmore said of the traditional Republican stronghold. "The organization will fall in behind the winner."
In Ocean County, there are no contests for candidates for six seats in the state Assembly or a seat on the Board of Freeholders, but six local races will be settled.
Today is also the deadline for independent candidates to file their petitions for the November general election.
