Corzine

NEWARK - Gov. Jon S. Corzine today said Rep. Donald M. Payne, who is serving his tenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, has his unflagging support now, and in 2008.

Here's something interesting to consider: if you are agree with the 68% of PoliticsNJ.com readers who say Governor Jon Corzine would prefer a cabinet post in a Democratic administration to running for re-election in 2009, then the race for Senate President could effectively be a Special Election Convention for Governor.

George Geist will get another term as a Judge of the state Workers' Compensation Court, which effectively ends speculation that he would seek his old State Senate seat in 2007.

Gov. Jon Corzine reappointed the former Republican legislator last week.  Geist, who spent twelve years in the Legislature, lost his 4th district Senate seat in 2003 to Democrat Frederick Madden by a 43-vote margin. 

Geist had been recruited to run by a coalition of Republicans and public employee unions, but GOP insiders say he was never a serious contender for a comeback.

It should not have taken grand jury subpoenas for Governor Corzine to realize that last July's pork barrel feeding frenzy violated the public trust and should never be repeated.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Gregory Andres

March 9, 2007 973-909-4490

Sources in Office of the Governor suggest that Jon Corzine will give some consideration to the appointment of a Republican as New Jersey's first State Comptroller, and that Beth Gates, a former Director of the Division of Local Government Services, is on the short list. Gates spent six years on the Assembly Republican staff, where she was Budget Director, and four years at the Department of Community Affairs, before becoming Vice President of Elizabethtown Water Co. in 1998.