John Adler

State Sen. Jim Beach, who is no longest the more junior member of the Senate now that Marcia Karrow has won.

The newest Democrat in the New Jersey State Senate is James Beach, who won a special election convention earlier this month to replace John Adler, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.  A former Camden County Clerk and the Co-Chairman of the Camden County Democratic Party, Beach was given a seat on the Senate Environment Committee; Senate President Richard Codey is expected to give Beach an additional committee assignment shortly.

Superior Court Judge Andrew Smithson is expected to rule on a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed against Board of Public Utilities President Jeanne Fox today.  If the lawsuit, which alleges that a whistleblower was punished for reporting a potentially illegal an $80 million ratepayer-funded Clean Energy account established by Fox, is dismissed, look for the Senate Judiciary Committee to put her nomination for a second term on their agenda soon. 

Last July, Senate Judiciary Chairman John Adler, then a candidate for Congress, said the panel would not consider the Fox nomination until after the trial of whistleblower, which ended with a hung jury last September.

There will now be some pressure on the new Judiciary Chairman, Paul Sarlo, to allow the committee to consider her nomination.  The panel is scheduled to meet on Monday - the first under Sarlo's leadership.

A new State Senator will be elected on Saturday to replace newly-elected U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Clinton).

Tomorrow is Election Day in Hunterdon County, where Assemblyman Michael Doherty and Assemblywoman Marcia Karrow will face off in a special election convention to replace Leonard Lance as the State Senator from the 23rd district. Lance resigned his State Senate seat earlier this month to take his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Doherty is widely considered to be the front runner, but insider contests decided by County Committee members can produce some surprises in a race where no polling of a finite universe of voters has been conducted.  Either way, District 23 Republican County Committee members will need to return soon to fill the soon-to-be vacant Assembly seat of the winner.  Three Freeholders - Matthew Holt and Erik Peterson of Hunterdon and John DiMaio of Warren - are already announced candidates for the Assembly.  A fourth candidate, Bloomsbury Mayor Mark Peck, is also mulling an Assembly bid.

U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill)

Sworn in to the 111th Congress today, U.S. Rep. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) announced his appointment to the House Financial Services Committee. 

The committee oversees housing and financial services sectors including banking, insurance, real estate, public and assisted housing, and securities. 

Adler becomes the only Democratic Party member of the New Jersey Congressional delegation to serve on the committee. 

Getty Images Photo

Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to seek re-election to a second term in 2009.

Look for former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie to file papers this month as a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor.   The former federal prosecutor is expected to become the establishment GOP candidate in a primary against former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan, the leader of the conservative wing of the New Jersey GOP.   Two other candidates, Assemblyman Richard Merkt and Franklin Township Mayor Brian D. Levine, are also mulling gubernatorial bids.

Incumbent Jon Corzine is expected to seek a second term as Governor, and is likely to run unopposed in the Democratic primary.  Not since Brendan Byrne faced nine rivals, including two Congressmen and a member of his own cabinet, in 1977 has a sitting Governor faced serious opposition for the nomination of his or her own party.  Corizne has struggled to win the approval of voters, but he's a Democrat in a very blue state, and he is expected to spend a huge amount of money to get re-elected.  It will be hard for any Republican to beat him.

If budget issues or e-mails make it impossible for Corzine to continue his race, look for a spirited Democratic primary with Senate President (and former Governor) Richard Codey as the front runner.

New Jerseyans will elect a Lieutenant Governor for the first time in 2009.  The new state law requires the winners of the major party gubernatorial primaries to pick a running mate, much like vice presidential candidates are designated after a presidential nominee is picked.

New Jersey’s two new congressmen-elect – state Sens. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) and Leonard Lance (R-Clinton) -- will appear on On the Record this weekend with host Michael Aron, airing Sunday at 9a.m. and 11a.m., and Monday at 6:30a.m. on NJN. 

On Reporters Roundtable, Aron will host Star-Ledger columnist Mark DiOnno; WBGO-WHYY Radio reporter Mary Fuchs; Gannett’s Michael Symons and the Bergen Record’s John Reitmeyer.  They’ll discuss the Republican state budget lawsuit, the pension deferral bill and Bob Mulcahy. The show airs tonight at 7:00 and repeats on Sunday at 10a.m.

Read PolitickerNJ.com's The Year in Review 2008, our annual lists of Winners & Losers of the Year, Politician of the Year, Best & Worst Campaigns, Best Operatives, People to Watch, and much more.

Click here for a low-resolution pdf

Click here for a high-resolution pdf

Getty Images Photo

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (right) joins Linda Stender and former President Bill Clinton at a campaign rally the Saturday before the 2008 general election.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak, the de facto leader of the Union County Democratic organization, says he viewed Republican Leonard Lance as the best candidate for Congress in the hotly contested seventh district race and wanted him to win over Democrat Linda Stender, a four-term Assemblywoman from Union County who had Lesniak’s endorsement. 

Speaking on the Senate floor yesterday on a resolution honoring Lance on his departure from the State Senate, Lesniak said: “Senator Lance knows I said to him before the election ‘I really want you to win, Senator.’  I didn’t want to lose him in this body, but he by far was not only the best candidate, but he’s earned it and he deserves it.” Lesniak’s statement, which could be explained as post-election courteousness, underscores some substantial criticism by Democrats of Stender and her campaign – and could be another signal that the Union Democratic organization will back a different candidate for the State Assembly if Stender seeks re-election in 2009.

State Senate President Dick Codey (D-West Orange) today appointed state Sen. Loretta Weinberg to fill a vacant seat on the Judiciary Committee.

“Loretta Weinberg is an ideal choice for the Senate Judiciary Committee,” said Senator Codey in a statement. “Few members rival her passion and commitment to justice and equality. She brings with her an independent spirit and nuanced approach to government that will help ensure a thorough vetting of all gubernatorial nominees, particularly judicial candidates.”

The seat opens up as state Sen. John Adler (D-Cherry Hill) prepares to resign after being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Codey earlier tapped state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) to chair the committee.

Berlin Councilman Chris Morris is a possible candidate to replace Jim Beach as Camden County Clerk in an election that has just one voter.

The decision to replace John Adler in the State Senate with Jim Beach will mean that Gov. Jon Corzine will need to appoint a new Camden County Clerk.  The presumption is that Corzine will make his appointment after hearing a recommendation from George Norcross, the South Jersey Democratic leader.  The State Senate must confirm the appointment, but that process is likely to be a simple formality.

Norcross could pick the person he wants to run in a November 2009 special election for the post, or -- as he's done before -- simply go with a caretaker who would be Acting County Clerk until the election results are certified.

There is some speculation that the leading candidate to replace Beach is Christopher Morris, a Berlin Councilman and former Deputy County Clerk.  Morris has served as Camden County's Director of Buildings and Grounds, and is currently a project manager for the Camden County Improvement Authority.  Less likely, though possible, candidates to become the new County Clerk are former Assemblyman David Mayer and Camden County Freeholder Carmen Rodriguez.