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State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) wants Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) to “honor the commitment he made to me” on the marriage equality bill she sponsors.  

Weinberg issued a statement this evening in response to Sweeney’s comment at the League of Municipalities today that “the main issue right now is the economy” and the senate should consider the gay marriage bill at an unspecified later time.

“As the prime sponsor of the Marriage Equality Act, I am urging our current Majority Leader to honor the commitment he made to me to move this important civil rights bill forward. We have the ability in the legislature to talk about this bill and address the economic crisis at the same time,” said Weinberg. “I received commitments from the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee as well as from Majority Leader Sweeney that they would allow this bill to move forward. It will be a disappointment to so many in the grassroots of our party as well as to me personally if this commitment is not honored.”

Update, 9:42pm -- Citing a miscommunication with Sweeney, Weinberg offered this revised statement:

“I think there has been a miscommunication between Steve Sweeney and myself.  I look forward to talking to him personally.  It really is up to Senate President Dick Codey to make a decision about pushing this bill forward, and the Judiciary Committee Chair [state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) has informed me that he will post the bill.”

Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford), right, with Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden)

ATANTIC CITY - Ready to be the next Senate President, state Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) just told a crowd of mayors, council people and govenrment types that now is not the time to drive marriage equality through the legislature.

"It's an important social issue," Sweeney tells NJN Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron in response to a question.

"If we learned anything in this last election it's that the main issue right now is the economy," Sweeney adds.

He says the legislature should consider marriage equality at another time.  

Ocean County Republican Chairman George Gilmore met with ex-Eagles tackle Jon Runyan yesterday, who told him that he is "strongly leaning" toward running.

But Gilmore, who said he had a "nice conversation" with Runyan, is not sold on him as the candidate to take on freshman U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill). 

"This is nowhere near being over at this point," said Gilmore.  "As a professional football player there's some name recognition. On the other hand, we don't know much about his background.  He's never held elected office, never run for office.  We don't know how he would handle a situation and a campaign," said Gilmore. 

Gilmore is upfront about who his favorite potential candidate is: state Sen. Chris Connors (R-Lacey Twp), who already represents roughly half the congressional district in the legislature.  Connors could not be reached for comment, but he told the Asbury Park Press yesterday that he is "not likely" to run. 

If Runyan decides to run, he will likely to have the full support of the Republicans from Burlington County, which makes up a roughly equal portion of the congressional district as Ocean County.  But even if Connors is out of the picture, Gilmore thinks a number of other candidates deserve consideration, including Toms River Councilman Maurice Hill and former Virginia "Ginny" Haines, a former assemblywoman and state lottery commissioner.   

"I don't want those comments to be taken as being opposed to Runyan, because I'm not," said Gilmore.  "He's a candidate that brings certain attributes and we have other candidates that bring other attributes." 

Gilmore does not believe that the process is already spiraling towards a primary like in 2008, when the eventual nominee, Christopher Myers, had to spend half a million dollars that Republicans think could have been better spent against Adler in the general election.

But what if the two county parties are unable to agree on a candidate?

From left: Roberts, Sweeney, Aron, Kean and DeCroce

ATLANTIC CITY - NJN Chief Political Correspondent Michael Aron has a panel on a stage here in one of the break-out-rooms of the Atlantic City Convention Center.

It's a familar group of legislative leaders, but in place of Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) sits Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

The Sweeney for Codey swap for this public television show taping anticipates Monday's senate Democratic caucus vore when Sweeney figures to defeat Codey.

So it's Sweeney and outgoing Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) versus Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield) and Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Parsippany) on an Aron-anchored On the Record episode to air this coming Sunday at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.

It's just starting.

Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean (R-Westfield), left, and Sen. Robert Gordon (D-Paramus).

ATLANTIC CITY - The legislative leadership transmogrifications are evident at the Atlantic City Convention Center, even if the good government intentions are nowhere visible outside whatever sessions convene behind closed doors.

A lot of people are talking about Senate President Richard Codey's party last night.

"An Irish wake," is how Sierra Club Executive Director Jeff Tittel describes the event.

More than a few people note that Codey appeared unflappable - even merry.

"Personable is not personal," explains another insider. "You have to understand the Irish. Whatever he's feeling inside, however personal he's taking this, will not take away from his ability to be personable."

Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac

ATLANTIC CITY - The members of Christie's transition team will break into specified groups tomorrow, according to team facilitator and counsel Brian Nelson of Shrewsbury.

"We're going to have a smaller number of groups to examine the issues than Gov. Corzine had four years ago," Nelson told PolitickerNJ.com. 

Proving Gov. Jon Corzine's loss in his hometown doesn't diminish his standing with defeated Democratic governors, Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac huddled in a tight-knit circle of party stalwarts that included former Gov. Jim Florio here in the Atlantic City Convention Center at the 94th annual League of Muncipalities Conference.

Corzine suffered a bellweather gut-wrencher in Woodbridge two weeks ago, ultimately going down to Gov.-elect Chris Christie, 11,475 to 9,391.

Christie surfaced in Woodbridge two days later and triumphantly pounded pavement with the Democratic mayor.

Then McCormac surfaced a few days after that as a member of Christie's transition team.

McCormac, state treasurer in the administration of Gov. Richard Codey, will have a transition role in economic development.

Trenton Councilman Manny Segura

ATLANTIC CITY - Trenton Councilman Manny Segura hasn't made a formal annoucement regarding next year's mayor's race, but if he runs and wins he says he would only serve for two terms - max.

"Longevity is a killer in this line of work," said the councilman, down here for the 94th annual League of Muncipalities Conference.

His observation comes on the tail-end of Mayor Doug Palmer's two-decade tour of duty as Trenton's chief executive.

"I've got three priorities," Segura added. "Safety, safety and safety."

A graduate of Perth Amboy High School, Segura was a minor league baseball prospect when he first started organizing politically, first for Robert Menendez and later Joe Vas.

Governor-elect Chris Christie is in Texas today for the Republican Governors Association’s annual conference.

Christie will attend the conference’s plenary session outside of Austin at 4:30 this afternoon before heading to a 6pm press availability with RGA Chair Haley Barbour -- the governor of Mississippi --  and Virginia Governor-Elect Bob McDonnell.  After that, he and McDonnell will attend a “victory barbeque.”  

The RGA invested heavily in New Jersey, which is one of only two states that had a gubernatorial election this year.

Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), left, with Gov. Jon Corzine on the eve of Election Day in Lawrenceville.

Up against a politically and geographically connected frontrunner, Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) this week continues to call assembly people in the Democratic caucus in an effort to secure backing for the speakership, according to party sources.

A veteran legislator and former Democratic state party chair, Watson Coleman naturally headed a short-list of successors to retiring Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden).

But the Mercer County product's difficulty in a state controlled by powerful political fiefdoms is she hails from a county that is the Democratic Party equivalent of Somerset.

If the measure included time in the trenches and advocacy of progressive party causes, she looked tracked to become the Assembly's first African American woman speaker.

Former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell was indicted today on federal charges of taking $10,000 in bribes in exchange for help with development approvals.

Elwell, who resigned shortly after his July 23 arrest, allegedly promised to expedite development projects for Solomon Dwek – a government cooperating witness posing as a developer under an assumed name – in exchange for the money.

Also indicted was Ronald Manzo, brother of former Assemblyman and five-time Jersey City mayoral candidate Louis Manzo.  Ronald Manzo, who is charged with taking $5,000 to facilitate the relationship between Elwell and Dwek, was indicted last month along with his brother on separate corruption charges.

According to the indictment, Dwek gave Elwell – through Manzo -- $10,000 and promised another $10,000 after the June 2 primary.  

“Don’t treat me like an opponent. Don’t treat me like an enemy. Treat me like a friend and help me. Just support my stuff. Expedite my applications. That’s all,” the indictment quotes Dwek as telling Elwell at a Hoboken diner.   

Elwell, the indictment contends, “nodded his head affirmatively in response.”