Alfred Steele

Assemblywoman-elect Elease Evans will not seek re-election to the Passaic County Board of Freeholders in 200835th District Democrats today elected Elease Evans to the State Assembly. She will fill the unexpired term of Alfred Steele, who resigned last week after his arrest on bribery charges, and will seek a full-term in the Assembly in November.

Evans, the Passaic County Freeholder Director and former NAACP leader, became the unanimous choice at a Special Election Convention after party leaders agreed to support her earlier this morning.

Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie said that Evans will serve in both offices for now, but will step down as Freeholder sometime before the completion of her current term, which expires in January 2009. Under the new state law banning dual officeholding, Evans would be eligible to hold both posts, if she wanted to.

Last July, Governor Jon Corzine signed legislaton that toughened penalties for possssing cell phones or other electronic devices for state prisoners. Perhaps ironically, the primary sponsor of the Assembly version of the bill was Alfred Steele, who attended the bill signing.

Democrats in three legislative districts have scheduled conventions to elect new legislators and pick new candidates.

Saturday, Sept. 15: District 35 Democrats will hold a Special Election Convention to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Assemblyman Alfred Steele, and a Special Primary Convention to choose a new candidate to run as the Democratic Assembly candidate in the November 2007 general election.

Sunday, Sept. 16: District 38 Democrats will hold a Special Primary Convention to pick a new candidate for the State Senate.  The incumbent, Joseph Coniglio, announced on Wednesday that he will not seek re-election.

Wednesday, Sept. 19: District 27 Democrats will hold a Special Election Convention to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Assemblyman Mims Hackett, and a Special Primary Convention to choose a new candidate to run as the Democratic Assembly candidate in the November 2007 general election.

Passaic County Freeholder Director Elease Evans seems to be headed to the State Assembly -- by now, it's no secret that she is Democratic County Chairman John Currie's choice to take the 35th district seat held until Monday by Alfred Steele.  Now the big question seems to be about her Freeholder seat. 

One possible explanation for the timing of Thursday's arrests of Mims Hackett and Alfred Steele: U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie has an unofficial policy of not indicting or arresting candidates within sixty days of election day.  So if Hackett and Steele were not arrested before the end of last week, as candidates for re-election to the State Assembly, they would have been effectively protected until November.  Both legislators have now resigned from the Assembly and withdrawn as candidates for re-election.

Passaic County Democrats seem committed to filling Assemblyman Alfred Steele's 35th district seat with an African American candidate, with Passaic County Freeholder Director Elease Evans, Paterson City Council President Ken Morris, and Rev. James Kuykendall, who ran an unsuccessful race for Mayor against incumbent Joey Torres in 2006, heading the short list of potential candidates.

The Assembly Clerk has received resignations from Mims Hackett and Alfred Steele.

Democratic County Committee members in the 27th and 35th districts must hold a Special Election Convention within the next 7-35 days to fill the remaining four months of their current terms.  Additionally, Democrats must hold a Special Nominating Convention to replace them on the November general election ballot.

Deputy Speaker Alfred Steele is expected to resign his seat in the New Jersey State Assembly on Monday, four days after FBI agents arrested him on bribery charges. Another Assemblyman Mims Hackett, indicated his intent to resign late Friday night.

Steele has stepped down as Passaic County Undersheriff, and Sheriff Gerald Speziale has not said if he would fire him.

Mims HackettGovernor Jon S. Corzine, Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts, Senate President Dick Codey and Assemblyman/Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Cryan have called on arrested Assemblymen Mims Hackett and Alfred Steele to resign by the end of the weekend, according to a statement issued by the Democratic State Committee this afternoon.

"I’m saddened that we’re at a position that we had to call for resignations. On the other hand, they had to be done. You can’t tolerate this stuff," the Democrats said in a statement.

More than the quote of the day, this could be the quote of the year: 

"Mims is cool. ... He's gonna do it."  -- Assemblyman Alfred Steele, on Mims Hackett (U.S. Attorney complaint)