Representative Rush Holt (Democrat) is the senior member of the House Physics Caucus. Prior to representing the citizens of his Princeton-area district, Holt was the Assistant Director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Holt, while not a member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, is on record (paywall, summary available online) as favoring more ‘scientific thinking’ in Congress.
He is also running for the U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey that is open due to the passing of Senator Frank Lautenberg. The spot will be filled by special election, with the primary election scheduled for next month and the general election in October. Holt has been touting his scientific and environmental credentials (he serves on the House Natural Resources Committee) in his campaign materials and public statements, including gathering the endorsements of Nobel laureates, including former Energy Secretary Steven Chu.
He has likely drawn (or will draw) the ire of Roger Pielke, Jr. by claiming in an online ad ‘millions’ of casualties as a result of climate change without getting into the details or any evidence to back up his claims. This has prompted a side squabble between Holt and one of the Republican Senate candidates who isn’t persuaded on the issue of climate change. It can also be considered dubious for a physicist to consider himself an ‘energy scientist’ as Holt does in the ad.
Holt is pressing ahead, and is hosting a live “Geek Out” on July 30 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. It will be a live discussion with the Congressman and ‘several world experts’ on issues of the day. None of these experts are named on the Geek Out site. As part of the event, and related campaign activities, Holt is running a contest for supporters to join him at an (I don’t think there’s only one) Einstein Dinner on August 9. The dinner is described as a more intimate opportunity for the kinds of discussions Holt wants to have at the Geek Out. While donors and more active supporters of the Congressman have dedicated drawings, it appears that those that simply register for the event will also have an opportunity to win.
The Democratic field has four candidates, and Newark Mayor Cory Booker is running far ahead of Holt and the other two challengers, Representative Frank Pallone and State Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver. As this election will be to complete a term that would ordinarily expire next year, Holt’s performance next month may influence whether he decides to try again in 2014.
Pasco Phronesis 