N.J. Democrat Is a Target After Breaking From the Pack

But the challenger is running a campaign based on "change vs. the status quo" with not-so-subtle hints that Lautenberg might not be up to the task at his advanced age. He has accused the incumbent of refusing to debate him.

"The senator is running a surrogates campaign. The senator is running a press release campaign," Andrews, 50, said in a Friday telephone interview between campaign stops. "The people of the state want a choice."

Andrews's energetic call for more democracy is somewhat undercut by his wife's decision to run for his seat, with the understanding that local party leaders would help her win the nomination and she would withdraw after the primary.

Lautenberg called that move "protectionism," suggesting that Andrews would reclaim the nomination for his House seat if he lost the Senate primary.

Andrews said that is not the case: "I'm not running for the House." He said his wife's move was an attempt to help party leaders sift through the numerous candidates interested in the seat since he announced his Senate bid just days before the filing deadline.

The incumbent is running an ideological battle, sending out daily news releases that remind voters of the challenger's initial vigorous support of the Iraq war. Buoyed by polls that show him with a more than 30-percentage-point lead, Lautenberg cites his nearly 25 years of Senate service and positions on important panels such as the Appropriations Committee.

"The people of New Jersey approve of the work I'm doing," he said.

Still, Lautenberg is keenly aware of his age and goes out of his way to appear hip and fit. At a press conference on air-traffic issues in the Capitol on Thursday, he played with his iPhone when it started ringing. Last year, when a local reporter questioned his health, Lautenberg ordered his doctor to fax him Lautenberg's health and cholesterol records.

And at a St. Patrick's Day parade on the Jersey Shore with Pallone and Rep. Rush Holt, Lautenberg broke into a jog, trying to shake more hands than his colleagues. "He's strong, he has the experience, he's in a good position. There's just no argument to say he shouldn't continue," Pallone said.

What ultimately binds the other House Democrats to Lautenberg is less their enthusiastic support than their collective self-interest. They freely admit their own desire to succeed him. Their anger at Andrews is based on what they consider his deceit about his intentions after he pledged his loyalty to Lautenberg five months ago, said Rep. Bill Pascrell.

"The least you could do, if there's a change in course, is bring us together or call each of us. Your word is your bond. He's done something to me that is politically as well as morally wrong," Pascrell said.

Research editor Alice Crites contributed to this report.