Joseph Coniglio

State Sen. Joseph Coniglio, the target of a federal corruption probe, dropped his bid for re-election on Wednesday

Conventional wisdom says the 38th should stay in the Democratic Party column as long as the party props up a warm, scandal-free body in the 2-1 Democratic district, but the replacement for Sen. Joseph Coniglio will likely have ironclad labor ties, which are important up here in Coniglio country.

It’s hard to imagine anyone more ironclad than the plumber turned senator, who announced Wednesday that he would not pursue re-election this November. Having him in Trenton was big for the AFL-CIO, one million members strong in New Jersey, which found a champ from among their own, according to organization President Charles Wowkanech.

It might not be a coincidence that the last three state Senators from district 38 have been from Paramus.

There was Paul Contillo, then Louis Kosco, and finally Joseph Coniglio.

Now, two of the four contenders for the position are from Paramus – Mayor James Tedesco and Bergen County Freeholder Connie Wagner (who, unlike the other three, has not yet declared an intention to run for the seat).

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg today praised the integrity of two potential Senate candidates in the neighboring 38th district, and said that Democratic Party leaders should let the elected county committee members should make the decision.

"Senator Joseph Coniglio made a very tough decision. The legal system will now run its course, and I wish him well," said Weinberg. "I also certainly hope that none of our own democratic party leaders, nor any Republican will insinuate that my colleagues, Assembly members Bob Gordon or Joan Voss, are somehow implicated in this investigation because they received subpoenas. I know them both to be hardworking legislators of great integrity."

The timing of Joseph Coniglio's announcement was terrible for Robert Gordon, a Democratic Assemblyman from the 38th district with an interest in seeking Coniglio's State Senate seat. Coniglio, the target of a federal corruption investigation, dropped his bid for re-election to a third term around 5:30 PM yesterday, just as Gordon, who is Jewish, was preparing to start his observance of the Rosh Hashanah holiday. That means Gordon might not be able to begin campaigning until Friday afternoon for an election that might come on Monday evening. (Monday is the deadline to replace candidates on the ballot, although over the last five years, the courts have made that deadline highly flexible.)

WEINBERG/CONIGLIO AUTISM BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW 

            WEST WINDSOR – A bill package sponsored by Senators Loretta Weinberg and Joseph Coniglio, designed to increase and improve available resources for families and individuals living with autism, was signed into law today by Governor Jon Corzine.  The bills were signed at the Eden Institute, a non-profit organization which provides educational and vocational services to adults and children living with autism.

Autism is a neurological developmental disability that impacts brain development in the areas of communication skills, social interaction and cognitive function.  People living with autism often struggle with verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction.

            “According to federal statistics, New Jersey has the highest number of autism cases in the nation,” said Senator Weinberg, D-Bergen.  “We are still learning about the autism spectrum disorders, but while we are learning, we must be able to provide much-needed assistance to families living with autism.  As the number of residents living with autism increases, we must have the resources in place to provide them with support programs as we work to find ways of decreasing autism rates in New Jersey and around the world.”

            “The number of autism cases is increasing here in New Jersey, and around the world,” said Senator Coniglio, D-Bergen.  “Statistics say that one child in 94 will be born with autism, and we must be prepared to provide their families with the support and resources they need.”

State Senator Joseph Coniglio, who is the target of a federal corruption probe, could announce his withdrawal from the 38th district Senate race as early as late today, according to party insiders.

Why is Joseph Coniglio getting out of the State Senate race? A Bergen County Democratic Organization poll taken last month shows that Coniglio's ethical woes would likely result in his defeat.  Through intermediarries, Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero pushed Coniglio to step aside several weeks ago, but was rebuffed by the two-term Senator who has yet to be charged with any crime.  Finally, Democrats made it clear to Coniglio that if he remained in the race, he would have to do it on his own, without any financial support from the Democratic Party.

The expected withdrawal of embattled State Senator Joseph Coniglio from his re-election campaign effectively ends the Curse of the 38th: each of Coniglio's predecessors ultimately ended their political careers by losing campaigns for re-election to the State Senate. The district was created for the 1973 election, when Democrat John Skevin unseated Republican Senator Fred Wendel. Skevin was defeated eight years later by Republican John Paolella ). Paolella lost his seat after one term to Democrat Paul Contillo . Contillo beat Louis Kosco in 1987, but lost his seat to Kosco in the 1991 Republican landslide. Kosco held the seat for ten years before falling to Coniglio in 2001, after redistricting added two heavily Democratic towns -- Fair Lawn and Fort Lee -- to the 38th.

State Sen. Joe Coniglio has agreed to drop his re-election bid, sources sayState Sen. Joseph Coniglio, who is the target of a federal corruption investigation, has agreed to drop his bid for re-election in the 38th district. Coniglio had resisted internal pressure from Bergen Democratic leaders to drop out of the race, but has now told Democratic officials that he would end his bid for a third term.

But Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero is strongly denying that Coniglio is dropping out, saying the report is "absolutely not true."