Celeste Riley

The announcement that Celeste Riley will get Douglas Fisher’s seat in the State Assembly means that Cumberland County will keep one of the three District 3 legislative seats.  And for the first time in state history, Cumberland and Salem counties will be represented in Trenton by a woman.  It also means that unless a Republican from Salem County defeats her in November, the state’s smallest county will continue to be the only county in New Jersey without a legislator.

Bridgeton Council President Celeste Marie Riley is expected to replace Douglas Fisher in the State Assembly next month, according to a Gloucester County Times report.

Fisher was appointed to Gov. Jon Corzine’s cabinet as Secretary of Agriculture.  He will be resigning from the Legislature over the next few weeks, causing Democratic County Committee members in the third district to hold a special election convention to fill the remaining ten months of his term.

Riley, 49, is a fourth grade teacher in Greenwich and was elected Councilwoman in May 2006.  She has a B.A. in Music from LaSalle University.

Because she has the support of the other third district legislators, Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) and Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro), Riley is expected to face few obstacles to win Fisher’s unexpired term, and to be the Democratic nominee for a full term in the 2009 general election.

State Sen. Jeff Van Drew says he won’t run for Congress in 2008, making GOP Rep. Frank LoBiondo the clear favorite to win re-election to an eighth term this year, the Vineland Daily Journal is reporting.  Possible Democratic challengers to LoBiondo are former Fairfield Mayor Viola Thomas-Hughes, who won 36% against LoBiondo in 2006, and Bridgeton City Councilwoman Celeste Riley.