James E. McGreevey

PolitickerNJ.com, since February 1, 2000

When PoliticsNJ.com began a journey into the world of New Jersey politics on February 1, 2000, we all lived in a different universe. Christie Whitman was midway through her second term as Governor, Republicans controlled both houses of the Legislature, 76-year-old Frank Lautenberg was retiring from the United States Senate, and some mega millionaire Wall Street guy no one ever heard of was running for his seat.

These eight years have been epic times in New Jersey politics: Jon Corzine spent $75 million to win a Senate seat; for twelve days in the summer of 2000, Bob Torricelli was an announced gubernatorial candidate; Whitman resigned as Governor to join the Bush cabinet and was replaced by Donald DiFrancesco, who dropped his own bid for Governor just four months later amidst allegations of ethical violations; Democrats outmaneuvered the GOP on legislative redistricting; Bret Schundler beat Bob Franks in the '01 gubernatorial primary; the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 changed the world; James E. McGreevey was elected Governor; Democrats captured control of the State Assembly - and an election night coup installed Albio Sires, not Joe Doria, as Speaker - and the Senate was tied at 20-20, leaving both parties with shared power of the upper house.

In one of the stiffest prison sentences from a state court Judge in recent years, former Commerce official Lesey Devereaux has been sentenced to 6 ½ years in a federal prison for using a state employee to work on cases for her private law firm. Devereaux served as Chief of Staff to the Rev. William Watley, who was state Commerce Secretary in Gov. James E. McGreevey’s cabinet.

New Jersey voters are likely to pass a $450 million bond issue to finance stem cell research – by a 57%-36% margin -- according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton poll released today. Catholic voters support the referendum 48%-41%, while voters identified as evangelical or born-again Christians support it by a 48%-42% margin. Of the likely voters who oppose the referendum, 26% say they disagree with stem cell research on moral grounds, while 58% say the state can’t afford the added debt.

“The margin favoring approval of the stem cell research bond issue is typical for recent ballot questions about state uses of public funds, despite public controversy surrounding this type of research,” said Tim Vercellotti, director of polling at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. “That some of the key constituencies expected to oppose the ballot question, such as evangelical Christians and Republican voters, are narrowly in favor or divided speaks to the strength of public support for the bond issue.”

The poll also gives Gov. Jon Corzine a 48%-42% approval rating.

The Star-Ledger is reporting that former Gov. James E. McGreevey has converted to the Episcopal faith and has begun a process to become an Episcopal Priest. 

Star-Ledger: "McGreevey, who often described himself as a devout Catholic while in public office, was officially received into the Episcopal religion on Sunday, at St. Bartholomew's Church in Manhattan, and is now part of the church's 'discernment' phase that usually precedes any seminary work, said the Rev. Kevin Bean, vicar at St. Bartholomew."