Local

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.

One week after losing two Freeholder seats, a group of county and state Democratic officials from Bergen County met last night to protect the status quo and unite - at least for now - behind the re-election of all incumbents in 2010, including Bergen County Democratic Chairman Michael Kasparian.  Democrats are anxious to hold off discussions about a possible replacement for Kasparian, who is unlikely to run again, until they figure out who they have to replace him. 

Publicly, elected officials want Bergen County Executive Dennis C. McNerney, Sheriff Leo McGuire, and Freeholders James Carroll, Tomas Padilla and Elizabeth Calabrese to seek re-election.  But privately, Democrats sense that McNerney, a protégé of convicted former Democratic leader Joseph Ferriero, could lose his bid for re-election to a third term.  And if McNerney loses, Democratic control of the Board of Freeholders could also be in jeopardy.  McGuire is anxious to run for County Executive, but he won't do it unless McNerney steps down first.

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.

Former NFL star Jon Runyan says he's considering a challenge to U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) next year.

Former Philadelphia Eagles star Jon Runyan confirmed today that he’s interested in running for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District.

“I am seriously considering becoming a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Jersey's 3rd Congressional District.  Our great country is headed in the wrong direction, and it’s clearer every day that career politicians are incapable of solving the problems we face,” he said in a statement issued this afternoon.  “I am grateful for the tremendous support and encouragement I have received while talking to people throughout South Jersey about running for Congress and I look forward to having more to say on this subject in the weeks ahead.”

The statement was sent out by Burlington County Republican consultant Chris Russell.

The effort by Republicans to recruit the former tackle to run against freshman incumbent John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) was first reported by PolitickerNJ.com yesterday.

Jersey City Councilman Mariano Vega - charged in July by the feds with allegedly taking $30,000 in bribes from a federal informant - has listed some of his campaign contributions on official reports as coming from an "FBI operative," the Jersey Journal reports.

Vega sent an amended campaign finance report to the Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) on October 28 in which he lists $10,000 as coming from someone whose occupation is listed as "FBI operative." 

Vega was council president at the time of the indictment.  He has since stepped down from his leadership post, but maintains his innocence and refuses to resign from the council altogether.

Assembly Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne) wants his committee assignments back.

Chiappone, charged with allegedly cashing legislative aides' checks for personal and campaign use, was stripped of his membership in three committees by Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) immediately after he was indicted by the state Attorney General's Office.

But Chiappone insists he's innocent, and news of his indictment did not doom his reelection in a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans eight-to-one.  Chiappone and running mate Charles Mainor - a police detective who was narrowly the top vote getter - got nearly three times the vote totals of their two Republican opponents. 

"Naturally I'd like to have [the committee assignments] back," said Chiappone.  "What the people basically said is what I've been asking them: give me the benefit of the doubt, give me the presumption of innocence."

Wayne Yahm

Law enforcement officer Wayne Yahm of Franklin Borough announced today that he will be a candidate for the Republican nomination for Sussex County Sheriff next year. 

A captain with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office with 28 years on the job, Yahm was the Democratic candidate for Sheriff in 2007. Subsequent to his loss, he changed his party affiliation. Today he told PolitickerNJ.com that he's confident the GOP will remain neutral in the 2010 primary.

“In an ideal world, law enforcement should be free of politics, and candidates for those positions in public office should be judged on their records, service, and management experience," Yahm said in a release. "Following my last campaign, I met with many county Republicans who showed me very clearly that my thinking was much more in line with the Republican Party.  And it’s been validated over the last ten months as I’ve seen massive new spending and a proposed government run health care system in Washington.”

John Farmer, one of the Hall of Famers of New Jersey journalism, will retire from his post as the Star-Ledger's Editorial Page editor tomorrow.  The veteran reporter and columnist, who took over editorial responsibilities for the state's largest newspaper when Fran Dauth left last year, will be replaced by columnist Tom Moran.  Today is Farmer's last day.

With the defeat of Gov. Jon Corzine, some Democrats facing unemployment may have found the promised land: Rutgers University.  Sources say that Rutgers may be filling a few key slots with soon-to-be ex-Corzine administration officials over the next few months.

(In tribute to my dad on Veterans Day, I repeat one of my favorite columns. Thank a veteran today.)

"What did you do in the war, Dad?"

That was the question that Miss Connor, my 4th grade teacher at PS 277 in Brooklyn ,wanted each kid in our class to ask their dad. We had an entire sheet of questions that Miss Conner handed out---you know, printed on mimeograph paper that had that rich chemical smell.