James Beach

U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) is in a tight squeeze between left and right. 

The freshman congressman's voting record so far is not all that different from his Republican predecessor, Jim Saxton - a moderate Republican.  But his opposition to the health care bill and his amendment that loosened auditing regulations for smaller corporations - seen by consumer advocates as weakening the Sarbanes-Oxley law -- have drawn the ire of progressives, some of whom staffed his campaign last year.

Republican leaders in Adler's district, on the other hand, believe that he's pulling the moderate card in his first term only to shift left once his incumbent status is more secured.

Jay Lassiter, a South Jersey Democratic activist who was the Adler campaign's new media director, sees Adler's voting record as preserving the area's status quo in representation - minus the seniority.

"The new Adler votes a lot like Saxton and [state Sen. James] Beach votes a lot like the old Adler," said Lassiter.  "Which would be fine if we didn't lose all that tenure in the process."

The Home News Tribune has urged the ouster of the most incumbent legislators this year: six.  The HNT called for the defeat of Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro), Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton), Joseph Egan (D-New Brunswick), Upendra Chivukula (D-Franklin), Patrick Diegnan (D-South Plainfield), and John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville).  Only Peter Barnes (D-Edison) survived the wrath of the editorial board.  But the HNT also endorsed three incumbent Democrats for re-election to the Middlesex County Board of Freeholders. 

The Courier-News wants five incumbents, all Democrats, to be defeated: Linda Stender (D-Fanwood), Gerald Green (D-Plainfield), Egan, Chivukula, and Diegnan.  They endorsed three GOP incumbents, Peter Biondi (R-Hillsborough), Denise Coyle (R-Bernards), and John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown) and Barnes.

The Courier-Post wants four Democratic legislators gone: five-term Assemblymen Herbert Conaway (D-Delanco) and Jack Connors (D-Pennsauken); and two special election winners -- State Sen. James Beach (D-Voorhees), who went to the Senate after John Adler became a Congressman; and Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (D-Bridgeton), who won a special election convention earlier this year after Douglas Fisher resigned to become state Secretary of Agriculture.   The Gloucester County Times also advocated the defeat of Riley, and the Burlington County Times said Coway should go.

The Record endorsed Republican challengers running against Frederick Scalera (D-Nutley), Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee), and Connie Wagner (D-Paramus); they endorsed ten incumbents for re-election - seven Democrats and three Republicans.  The Record also called for the ouster of Democratic Freeholders in Bergen and Passaic counties.

The Press of Atlantic City endorsed a Republican challenger against freshman Assemblyman Matthew Milam (D-Vineland).  The newspaper backed five incumbents - one Democrat and four Republicans.

The Courier-Post has endorsed Republican Joseph Adolf, a former Mayor of Magnolia, for State Senator in the sixth district.  Adolf faces incumbent James Beach (D-Voorhees), who won a special election convention in January for the seat of John Adler, who was elected to Congress.

“We’re backing Adolf because we think more fiscal conservatism is needed in Trenton, and Adolf would bring that. He knows that cutting property taxes is the most important issue. He wants to do a thorough review of state government and look at where services are being duplicated so operations can be made more efficient and less costly. That's a great idea,” the editorial said.

For the Assembly, the Courier-Post praised all four candidates, but endorsed Democratic incumbents Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees) and Pamela Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill) over GOP challengers Scot DeCristofaro and Brian Greenberg.

Publicly, Senate Republicans are saying they have voted to support Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) for Senate President, but privately it became clear in a private meeting of the GOP caucus today that there is no support for any deal to help Richard Codey (D-Roseland) forge a bi-partisan coalition to win re-election as Senate President.  Indeed, more than half of the seventeen Republican Senators seem to prefer Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford), the current Majority Leader, sources say.

Kean was unopposed for re-election as the Senate Republican Leader.  Assemblyman Michael Doherty (R-Oxford), who ousted an incumbent in the Republican primary last June and is the likely winner in next month's special election for an unexpired term, participated in the Republican meeting. (He abstained on the vote for Kean.)  Joseph Adolf, the Republican Senate candidate in the District 6 special election, was not invited to attend the Senate GOP reorganization meeting and strategy session.  Few Republicans expect Adolf to oust incumbent James Beach (D-Voorhees).

Another story on the office of Register of Deeds and Mortgages comes from Camden County, where Republicans scored an upset victory in 1990.  The Democratic incumbent, Robert Yost, did not seek re-election.  The GOP was strengthened by the tax increases of the Democratic governor, Camden hometown hero Jim Florio.  Republican Susan Rose, advocating the elimination of the Register post, defeated Democrat Linda Rohrer.

Working with Rose, Assemblyman John Rocco (R-Cherry Hill) sponsored legislation to repeal the 1875 legislation that created the Camden County Register of Deeds and Mortgages.  It was passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by GOP Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.

With her office eliminated and Democratic County Clerk Michael Keating ousted following his conviction in a case involving bogus ballot printing contracts, Rose ran for County Clerk in 1995.  She lost narrowly to James Beach (D-Voorhees), who held the post until his election to the State Senate earlier this year.

One day after appearing with Vice President Joseph Biden to formally kick off his re-election campaign, Gov. Jon Corzine will travel to South Jersey on Wednesday for an appearance with an even bigger celebrity: TV personality Kelly Ripa.  Corzine will administer the oath of office to Ripa's father, Joseph Ripa, as the new Camden County Clerk.

State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) has won a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee

State Sen. Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) will get a new seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-Westfield) will take the new seat on the Senate Education Committee, sources say.

Last month, the Senate expanded the size of the Judiciary Committee from eleven to thirteen members, adding an eighth Democrat and a fifth Republican.  Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) has already named State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) to fill the new Democratic seat.

The Senate Labor Committee was also expanded from five to seven members.  Codey named State Sen. James Beach (D-Voorhees) to that post.

Kelly Ripa's father will be the new Camden County Clerk.

Camden County Democrats have settled on Freeholder Joseph Ripa, the father of television personality Kelly Ripa, as their candidate for County Clerk.  Ripa, a labor leader and a Freeholder since 2004, will replace James Beach.  Beach resigned in January after winning a special election convention for State Senator.

Democrats will now need to find a new Freeholder candidate to replace Ripa, who was expected to seek re-election to a third term this fall.  There could be as many as two open Freeholder seats if South Jersey Democrats pick Freeholder Rodney Greco to run for an open Assembly seat in the fourth district.

Gov. Jon Corzine can nominate Ripa to become the Acting Clerk, a move that requires State Senate confirmation. 

Senate Republicans have agreed to a rules change that will expand the size of two Senate committees.  The Judiciary Committee will go for eleven to thirteen (eight Democrats and five Republicans), and the Labor Committee will increase from five to seven (four Democrats and three Republicans).  Brian Stack (D-Union City) will get the Judiciary post, and James Beach (D-Voorhees) will get the Labor seat. 

On the Republican side, things are a little more complicated.  Sean Kean (R-Wall), a pro-Labor Republican, is expected to get the new Labor Committee seat.  For the Judiciary seat, Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. might be forced to choose between two Senators who want the assignment:  Christopher Bateman (R-Branchburg) and Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove).  This puts Kean in the uncomfortable position of possibly passing over O'Toole, the Essex County Republican Chairman and the Chairman of the GOP County Chairmen, for the second time this year.  Kean picked Anthony Bucco (R-Boonton) to serve as the ranking Republican on the Appropriations Committee after Leonard Lance resigned to take his seat in Congress.

State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) is expected to get a seat on the Senate Judiciary Committee under a plan to expand the size of two committees.  Senate President Richard Codey wants to increase Judiciary from eleven to thirteen members - about one-third of the Senate - adding an eighth Democrat and a fifth Republican. 

Codey is also adding an additional seat on the Senate Labor Committee to be filled by State Sen. James Beach (D-Voorhees).  The Labor Committee currently has three Democrats and two Republicans.