Still recovering from a lopsided congressional defeat to state Sen. Leonard Lance (R-Flemington), Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-Fanwood) said today that she intends to run for re-election to the assembly in 2009.

“My immediate plan is to seek another term to the legislature, and I have great support from the state chair, my county chair, and I’ve got very good working relationships with my delegation members,” she said. “There’s a lot of important work to be done, we’re in a tough time in our economy and state and I’ll be looking forward to taking on those challenges.”

An Inside Edge report from just before the election said that a Union County Democratic official suggested that the party would try to get Stender to step aside if she lost the House race. But Stender said today that she has not felt any pressure to leave her seat.

“I chalked up a lot of those comments to the sort of heat of the campaign cycle,” she said.

State Sen. Ray Lesniak, who doubles as Union County’s foremost power broker, backed up Stender – despite his comment at yesterday’s state senate sendoff for Lance that the Republican deserved to win.

“I have a long personal friendship and admiration of Senator Lance and it had nothing to do with Assemblywoman Stender,” said Lesniak. “If she wants to run for re-election she has my support.”