[Reily]

I hate the idea of rewarding failure but its not my state.
If it was me I would argue for a completely fresh but known (Locally) conservative face!
Arizona Freepers what say you?

[Alberta's Child]

To me, rewarding failure only makes sense if you have no expectation that the seat will be held by the GOP in the future anyway.

If a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey had been vacated while Chris Christie was governor, for example, he could name any solid Republican political figure or outlandish GOP character to fill the seat temporarily because it would go back to the Democrats in the next Senate election anyway.