Joseph Cryan

Assembly Human Services Committee chair Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) is mulling a bid for Assembly Speaker

Look for a fourth candidate in the race for Assembly Speaker: Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) has spent the last two days testing the waters to seek the post.  Oliver is the Assistant Essex County Administrator, which means strong ties to County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and Newark Democratic leader Stephen Adubato.  Essex County has the state's largest Assembly delegation - nine votes.

Oliver would become the second African American woman to run for Speaker, joining Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing).  Watson Coleman said on Wednesday that she would run.  Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman, and Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) are also looking at the race.

Oliver's chances of becoming Speaker could be boosted by a leadership change in the upper house, where Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) is considering a challenge to Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland).  It is unlikely that Essex Democrats would get both slots, and more likely that they would if the Senate Presidency goes to South Jersey.

The 57-year-old Oliver is seeking her fourth term in the State Assembly this year.  She represents District 34, which includes East Orange, Montclair and Clifton.  She is a former Essex County Freeholder and East Orange Board of Education President, and lost her bid for Mayor of East Orange in the 1997 Democratic primary by just 51 votes.  She is currently the Assembly Speaker Pro-Tempore and the Chair of the Assembly Human Services Committee.

CRYAN:  COURT RULING UPHOLDING PAYOUT LIMITS FOR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS A WIN FOR TAXPAYERS

(TRENTON) - Assemblyman Joseph Cryan today called a ruling by a New Jersey appeals court upholding state Department of Education Commissioner Lucille Davy's ability to limit sick and vacation time payouts for departing school administrators "a win for the taxpayers of the State of New Jersey."

Cryan is the sponsor of legislation (A-2975) that would prohibit school superintendents, assistant superintendents and school business administrations who leave their jobs - whether by retirement or other means - from earning any payment except for legally allowable buy-backs of unused sick leave and vacation time.

CRYAN STATEMENT ON SPEAKER ROBERTS

(TRENTON) – Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan today issued the following statement in response to Speaker Joseph J. Roberts’ decision not to run for reelection for the New Jersey General Assembly: 

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) might not be seeking re-election, but that doesn't mean he'll be leaving the Trenton.  State Sen. Dana Redd is a shoo-in to win election as Mayor of Camden in November, and that means she'll have to resign her Senate seat by January 1, 2010 in order to assume her new office.  Roberts is considered a potential candidate to replace Redd in the Senate.

The new Legislature will organize on January 12, which is when Roberts' current Assembly term and leadership position expires.  His pending announcement tomorrow - officially, he will tell the Camden County Democratic Committee first - will be the start of the race for Speaker.  The outcome of the races for Governor and Senate President will be critical factors in picking the next Speaker. 

Rumors of Roberts' departure from the Assembly have been circulating for more than a year, and Democratic insiders say that the leading candidates will be Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) and Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman.  Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Middlesex) is also a potential candidate.

CRYAN STATEMENT ON INDICTMENT OF
ASSEMBLYMAN ANTHONY CHIAPPONE

(TRENTON) – Democratic State Committee Chairman Joseph Cryan today released the following statement on the indictment of Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Hudson):

CRYAN STATEMENT ON THE PASSING OF EDWARD KENNEDY

(TRENTON) – Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan today issued the following statement on the passing of United States Senator Edward Kennedy:

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts will have no problem keeping his job, if Democrats hold the Assembly and if he wants it. But there is some speculation that Roberts is eyeing Dana Redd's State Senate seat, which is almost certain to open up in January.

Some Democrats think Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) might be interested in moving up to the Senate in January, if Dana Redd wins her race for Mayor of Camden.  Roberts has been Speaker for nearly four years, and while he is fully engaged in the campaign to retain the Democratic majority in the lower house, more than a few Democrats sense that he's ready to move on.  Redd is an almost certain winner.

Roberts move to the upper house would trigger an election for Assembly Speaker, with Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), and Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) as the leading contenders. 

Sources say that Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees), Nellie Pou (D-Paterson), and Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) are also possible Speaker candidates, although clearly in a third tier category.  Even below them on the list are John McKeon (D-West Orange) and Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), who fancy themselves as future Speakers, but appear to be just pretenders to the throne.  (Prieto's own Assembly seat could be in danger in 2011 if Democrats fail to win the Secaucus mayoral race following the arrest and resignation of Dennis Elwell.)

Part of the race for Speaker will be influenced by the results of the gubernatorial campaign and closely tied to the potential contest for Senate President between incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) and Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).

CRYAN FILES ELEC COMPLAINT AGAINST CHRISTIE
FOR FAILURE TO DISCLOSE LOAN

(TRENTON) – Democratic State Committee Chair Joseph P. Cryan today filed a complaint against Conservative Right Wing Gubernatorial Candidate Chris Christie with the Election Law and Ethics Commission (ELEC)  for his failure to disclose a personal loan of $46,000 to Michele Brown, currently the first assistant to the United States Attorney, promoted since Christie’s resignation.  Cryan said that Christie is in clear violation of state law that promotes transparency, accountability and ethical behavior.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie in between state Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove), left, and state Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Union City).

News about GOP gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie's failure to disclose a loan to a former employee and report the income on his federal income tax and fallout from his pre-campaign discussions with Karl Rove have Democrats alert to shifting terrain in the gubernatorial election even if they remain guarded about the outcome.

Ahead by double digits through the bulk of the summer, Republicans say the headlines are inevitable campaign turbulence, and not even close to death spiral spasms.

"We'll continue to work contrasts between Jon Corzine and Chris Christie," said Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan, who wouldn't identify this week as the first time in the cycle that Gov. Jon Corzine has appeared to have climbed off the political cold slab, a condition some polls have shown the governor to be in since he and Christie officially started their head-to-head rivalry back in June.

State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen) today stepped up the optimism.

"At this point it's a horse race, but I'm feeling very confident the governor will be successful," said the chair of the Senate Budget Committee and a prospective candidate for lieutenant governor until Corzine picked her colleague, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck).

Buono toured Indian-American businesses with Corzine today on Oak Tree Road in Edison in her first campaign appearance with the governor since failing to lock up the LG spot.

NEW JERSEY STATE DEMOCRATIC CHAIR CRYAN
ON CONFIRMATION OF SOTOMAYOR TO U.S. SUPREME COURT

     (TRENTON) – New Jersey Democratic Party Chair Joseph P. Cryan today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Senate’s 68-31 vote confirming President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor: