Leonard Lance

Steve Adubato, center, with Gov-elect Chris Christie, right, and Gov. Jon Corzine, at the North Ward Center during the Republican Primary election earlier this year.

NEWARK - North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato hit back today against those critics in his party who bashed him for embracing Gov.-elect Chris Christie in the aftermath of the gubernatorial election at the charter school Adubato founded.

The Democrat singled out longtime political foe Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland), who Tuesday evening at West Ward Councilman Ron Rice's fundraiser griped that the party bosses dropped Gov. Jon Corzine "like a prom dress."

"First of all, the election's over, if we didn't come together we're going to play partisan roles and we all lose," Adubato told PolitickerNJ.com. "Codey knows that. Come on. He picked a Republican, Leonard Lance, to swear him in. What was Dick Codey saying then? He made a deal with the Republicans to hold onto his Senate Presidency to save his seat when Nia Gill challenged him. Stop.

"Tell Codey this is America. Teach him a lesson. We don't control who does what when they go into the booth and vote."

Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford) is expected to be sworn in as a State Senator when the Senate comes back into session on November 23.  Doherty defeated incumbent Marcia Karrow (R-Raritan) in the June Republican primary - five months after he lost a special election convention to fill the seat of Leonard Lance, who was elected to Congress.  Karrow has been lobbying hard for a post in Gov.-elect Christopher Christie's cabinet; she wants to be Commissioner of Community Affairs.

Ask Republicans about candidate recruitment in the 3rd Congressional District, where freshman U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) is expected to face a tough challenge to keep his seat, and you'll hear a long list of potential candidates. 

Ask Democrats the same question in freshman U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance's (R-Clinton) 7th Congressional District, and you hear just a couple names.

One of them is Summit Mayor Jordan Glatt, who is considered a formidable potential candidate owing to his personal wealth and the fact that he's the first Democratic mayor in the history of his town, a Republican stronghold.  But he's not interested.   

"Quite honestly, I feel that Leonard Lance is doing a very good job.  I know it's probably going to irk my Democratic colleagues, but he's a good man," he said.  "I would have to have some passion about the person I'm running against."

Outgoing Edison Mayor Jun Choi is not interested either.

"I just got married and we're going to start a family, so personally it's not a good time," he said.  "I'm flattered that people would consider me." 

Fanwood Mayor colleen Mahr, however, did not rule out a run.

"I will say I thoroughly enjoy government and politics, and I plan on staying around," she said.

Political consultant Pat Politano - who works campaigns in Union County - said that there will be a major recruitment effort starting shortly.

"There will be efforts to find a candidate, but the reality is that democrats across the state knew we were in a tough election year and nobody has focused on that," he said, stressing the importance of unseating a congressman from a rival party in his first term.

From left: GOP nominee Chris Christie, Assemblyman John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown), Steve Lonegan.

FLEMINGTON - Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie this afternoon stood onstage with the man he conquered in the June Primary: former Bogota Mayor Steve Lonegan, leader of the conservative movement in New Jersey, who promptly bashed President Barack Obama.

"The people who crossed the Atlantic Ocean in ships didn't come here looking for security and a welfare check, they came here seeking freedom and liberty," Lonegan told an excited crowd packing the sidewalk in front of the Hunterdon County Courthouse. "Barack Obama doesn't understand that simple message.

"Those folks had learned a lesson that Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid do not understand," Lonegan said.

A day before Obama is scheduled to appear at rallies in Camden and Newark in support of Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine, the crowd cheered in the rain.

"Some of my friends said they were going to write Steve Lonegan in," added the former gubernatorial candidate. "But let me tell you, we have an opportunity to take back New Jersey, to make New Jersey the economic leader it once was. The best man did win. The best man will put an end to the advancement of the Corzine-Obama team."

Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) has the biggest campaign war chest in New Jersey's thirteen member congressional delegation, with more than twice as much money in the bank as Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn).  Pallone has $4,012,918, while Rothman has $1,759,842.  Pallone raised $355,661 during the last quarter, while Rothman brought in just $25,212 - less than any other New Jersey Congressman from either party.

Christopher Smith (R-Hamilton) has the lowest cash on hand - just $120,480.  He is expected to face a Republican primary challenge, possibly from former Holmdel Deputy Mayor Alan Bateman.  Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) has $195,210 in the bank, and still carries a debt from his challenge to Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

Freshman John Adler (D-Cherry Hill), who won a House seat last year with 52% in a district the Republicans had not lost since 1886, has $1,193,060 cash on hand.  He raised $404,405 during the last quarter - the  best in the New Jersey delegation.  Another freshman, Leonard Lance (R-Clinton), has $314,755.

Citing a string of broken promises from Gov. Jon Corzine, New Jersey's largest environmental group today backed former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie for Governor - the first time the organization has endorsed a statewide Republican since its inception.

Members of the political arm of the New Jersey Environmental Federation - which endorsed Corzine in 2005 -- said they were "hugely disappointed" by Corzine's first term environmental record.  They specifically mentioned his lack of action in working to create more cooling towers for nuclear plants, a drop off in waterway protection, lack of a commitment to environmental justice and failing to takes sides on a proposed coal plant in Linden.

"We expect our political leaders to take on our environmental issues and problems and provide good solutions that are in the best interest of the environment," said Sharon Finlayson, who chairs the NJEF's five-member Vote Environment Committee.  "When that fails it is time for change.  We believe that the change we see will be found in Chris Christie."

The state's three major environmental groups have all snubbed Corzine this year.  The New Jersey chapter of the Sierra Club went for independent Chris Daggett, a former Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) commissioner and regional EPA administrator.  The other major group, Environment New Jersey, opted not to endorse anyone.  

The NJEF's leaders said they were won over by Christie's opposition to deepening the Delaware River; his promise to restore the DEP's Division of Science and Research, which was eliminated under Corzine; his support for retrofitting diesel engines used under state contracts; stop the "fish slaughter" from cooling systems at Salem and Oyster Creek and his stated opposition to the Linden coal plant. 

"We've been hugely disappointed [in Corzine]" said Ben Forest, a member of the committee that voted to endorse Christie.  "A lot of environmental promises and he failed to effectively lead. On many levels, I am sorry I cannot support his re-election."

If you are a New Jersey State Senator, you are more likely to die in office than to win higher elective office. Under the current State Constitution, 49 sitting State Senators have asked voters to promote them to a new office, but only eleven have won.  

That might be bad news for Loretta Weinberg, the Democratic nominee for Lt. Governor, and the 50th State Senator to run for another office.

Nearly half of the State Senators seeking higher office have run for Governor and all 21 have lost: Malcolm Forbes (1957), Wayne Dumont (1965), Raymond Bateman (1977) and James E. McGreevey (1997) won major party nominations but lost the general election -- each time to an incumbent; William Schluter ran as an Independent in 2001; and Walter Jones (1961), Charles Sandman (1965), William Kelly (1969), Frank McDermott (1969), William Ozzard (1969), Harry Sears (1969), Ralph DeRose (1973), Raymond Garramone (1977), Frank Dodd (1981), William Hamilton (1981), Joseph Merlino (1981), James Wallwork (1981), Bill Gormley (1989) and Gerald Cardinale (1989).

Edward Crabiel gave up his Senate seat to run in 1973 but withdrew when some party leaders decided to back Brendan Byrne. In 2001, Donald DiFrancesco dropped his bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

All seven State Senators who have run for the United States Senate have lost: Frank Guarini, in 1970 Democratic primary against Harrison Williams; Richard LaRossa (1996), Bill Gormley (2000), Diane Allen (2002), John Matheussen (2002), Thomas Kean, Jr. (2006) and Joseph Pennacchio (2008).  Only Kean won a primary.  (The last time a sitting State Senator went to the U.S. Senate was in 1934, when William Smathers beat Kean's great-grandfather.)

Eleven of the fourteen sitting State Senators who have run for Congress have won: John Hunt (1966), Edwin Forsythe (1970), Joseph Maraziti (1972), Matthew Rinaldo (1992), Bernard Dwyer (1980), James Saxton (1984), Frank Pallone (1988), Richard Zimmer (1990), Robert Menendez (1992), John Adler (2008) and Leonard Lance (2008).  Five have lost House bids: Richard Stout (1968), Joseph Kyrillos (1992), Gormley (1994), John Bennett (1996), and Cardinale (2002).

New Jersey's congressional delegation voted 8-5 along party lines in support of a House resolution voicing disapproval of U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who shouted "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's address to a joint session of Congress last week.  Democrats John Adler, Rob Andrews, Rush Holt, Frank Pallone, Bill Pascrell, Donald Payne, Steven Rothman, and Albio Sires voted yes.  Republicans Rodney Frelinghuysen, Scott Garrett, Leonard Lance, Frank LoBiondo and Christopher Smith voted no.  The resolution passed 240-17.  Seven Republicans voted yes and twelve Democrats voted no.