Francis Bodine

Francis Bodine today became a candidate for the State Senate as a Democrat, declaring himself a fiscal conservative with an independent voice.  He will face County Clerk Philip Haines for the seat of retiring State Sen. Martha Bark.

Bodine, 71, changed parties this morning after spending thirty years in public office as a Republican.  He was elected to the State Assembly in 1993 and has served in the GOP leadership for the last seven years.

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce sharply criticized veteran GOP Assemblyman Francis Bodine for switching to the Democratic Party, and says Assembly Republicans have realized over the past few years that the 71-year-old Burlington County Republican was no longer up to the job.

"It is disappointing to me that after a long-career of public service Fran would choose to squander that record and damage his reputation by ending his career engaging in such a purely self-interested, vain, and hypocritical move," DeCroce said in a statement.  “The fact of the matter is that over the past few years, myself and other members of our caucus began to realize that Fran was no longer up to the job of serving his constituents. That is why he was not chosen to represent the party on this year’s ballot."

Assemblyman Francis Bodine has switched parties: a party declaration card was dropped off at the Burlington County Board of Elections today changing his affiliation from Republican to Democrat. Bodine, 71, is expected to announce his candidacy for State Senator at a 2PM news conference in Moorestown. He has held public office as a Republican since 1977.

With Bodine's switch, Democrats have now increased their majority in the Assembly to 50-30.

The anticipated party switch of Republican Assemblyman Francis Bodine will create a special election in the Assembly GOP Caucus -- a contest for his position as Assistant Minority Leader.  That could create a contest between the two Assistant Minority Leaders, David Wolfe and Alison Littell McHose -- which would allow Assistant Minority Whip Jon Bramnick to move up one level.  But more likely, watch for Bramnick to leapfrog ahead of Wolfe and McHose and run for Bodine's post.

Burlington County Republicans will retire Assemblyman Francis Bodine, and have picked three new faces to run for the Legislature in the 8th district: County Clerk Phil Haines for State Senate, and Freeholder Dawn Addiego and former Medford Mayor Scott Rudder for Assembly.

State Sen. Martha Bark is retiring, and Assemblyman Larry Chatzidaks was also asked not to seek re-election.

Former Cinnminson Mayor Joe Donnelly will run for Freeholder. Incumbent Vince Farias is not seeking re-election.

There is much speculation among Burlington County Republicans that the lineup of candidates for the eighth district could be changed over the next few weeks. County Clerk Philip Haines was expected to become the GOP Senate candidate for Martha Bark's seat, but now some insiders say that Freeholder William Haines, no relation to the Clerk, could emerge as a candidate for State Senator. Phil Haines would then run for Assembly on a ticket with incumbent Francis Bodine; Republicans are expected to drop the other incumbent, Larry Chatzidakis.

Former Medford Mayor Scott Rudder, who had been slated for the Chatzidakis Assembly seat, might wind up running for the open Freeholder seat now occupied by Vincent Farias; that would make Cinnaminson Township Committeeman Joseph Donnelly, who had been viewed as the leading candidate to replace Farias, as the loser in a GOP game of musical chairs.

The internal Republican contest to replace State Senator Martha Bark in the eighth district is expected to become a two-man race between Burlington County Clerk Phil Haines and former Medford Mayor Scott Rudder, assuming that Col. Michael Warner, the GOP County Chairman, declines to run. Insiders say that Haines and Rudder are both headed to Trenton, either as a Senator or as an Assemblyman, replacing incumbent Larry Chatzidakis. If Burlington Republicans decide to also dump incumbent Francis Bodine, watch for Freeholder Dawn Addiego to run for the Assembly as well.

BODINE AND CHATZIDAKIS SCORE HAT TRICK WITH THREE BILLS APPROVED BY GENERAL ASSEMBLY

BILLS INCLUDE MEASURE REQUIRING THE DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES BY STATE POLICE FOR MISSING PERSONS AND A NEW CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW

BODINE: GOVERNOR SHOULD COMMIT TO USING ANY BOND DEAL PROCEEDS FOR DEBT REDUCTION

HOW STATE HANDLES REVENUE FROM BOND DEAL WILL GIVE AN INDICATION AS TO WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM PROPOSED TURNPIKE SALE

Assemblymen Francis Bodine today said that if the state is proceeding with a plan to issue $3.5 billion in bonds to help retire an existing $3.3 billion in tobacco bond debt, the administration should make a firm commitment that the $68 million in annual savings will be used to pay down the state’s $37 billion debt.

CHATZIDAKIS SECURES GREEN ACRES FUNDS FOR FOUR BURLINGTON COUNTY PROJECTS

The Assembly today approved legislation co-sponsored by Assemblyman Larry Chatzidakis that appropriates nearly $40 million in Green Acres funds for local government open space acquisition and park development projects in "urban aid," densely or highly populated, and other municipalities and counties.