Leo McGuire

With speculation that Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire may be appointed U.S. Marshall, North Arlington Mayor Peter Massa today floated his own name for McGuire’s current job.  

Massa, a former police and sheriff’s officer , issued a press release stating that he’s “very interesting in exploring this option should Sheriff McGuire resign” and outlining his qualifications.

“I've earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration as well as attended law school. I've worked in the Sheriff's office as well as the North Arlington Police Department where I retired as sergeant and I'm currently employed with a major bi-state agency with the rank of captain. I've served on both sides of the table in a collective bargaining capacity as PBA president as well as the head of a school board and municipality,” he wrote.  “I believe my professional, educational and political credentials make my candidacy one that's tough to beat come election day.” 

U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman, left, is backing Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire for U.S. Marshal over another Bergen candidate, Freeholder Director Tomas Padilla, right.

In a letter to New Jersey's two United States Senators, U.S. Rep. Steven Rothman today endorsed Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire for U.S. Marshal.  This is significant because Rothman has chosen McGuire over another candidate for the post, Bergen County Freeholder Director Tomas Padilla.  It will be hard for Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez to ignore the Rothman endorsement since he is the Democratic Congressman from Bergen County. 

Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez wants to succeed Jim Plousis as U.S. Marshal

Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez is quietly seeking support to become New Jersey’s next U.S. Marshal, but sources with knowledge of the selection process say the career law enforcement official is not on the short list of candidates at this time.  The leading candidates are former Mercer County Sheriff Samuel Plumeri and Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire – both are very much announced candidates and are actively lobbying for the job -- with Bergen County Freeholder Tomas Padilla looming large as a potential contender.

Perez, a former State Police captain and public school teacher, served as Jersey City’s Deputy Police Director before defeating four-term Sheriff Joseph Cassidy in the 2007 Democratic primary.

Add another name to the list of possible candidates for U.S. Marshal: Tomas Padilla, the Bergen County Chairman.  Sources with direct knowledge of the appointment process suggest that Padilla, a Latino and a career law enforcement official - he's a Hackensack police captain - could quickly emerge as a serious contender for the federal post if he tells decision makers he's interested.   Padilla , a Freeholder since 2002, would become the first Latino to serve as New Jersey's U.S. Marshal.

If Padilla became U.S. Marshal, the Bergen County Democratic Committee would need to hold a special election convention to replace him on the Board of Freeholders.  In November 2009, there would be a special election to fill the remaining fourteen months on Padilla's term - provided that the vacancy occurs before early September.)  This would put three of the seven Democratic seats on the Freeholder Board up for grabs this fall.

The race for U.S. Marshal has no clear favorite, according to Democratic sources familiar with the selection process.  The leading candidates are former Mercer County Sheriff Samuel Plumeri, who now heads security at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire.  Gov. Jon Corzine is pushing Plumeri, but the recommendation of importance will come from the state’s two Democratic U.S. Senators. Plumeri and McGuire are both actively seeking the post.

The shakeup of the Bergen County Democratic Organization has already led to speculation about who will run for county executive in 2010. 

Many insiders believe that if indicted Democratic Chairman Joe Ferriero goes --  as the party’s executive committee has called on him to do by January 15 barring total exoneration - then incumbent executive Dennis McNerney is on his way out too.

But McNerney, who’s held the seat since 2002, told PolitickerNJ this week that he definitely intends to seek a third term. 

“I’m definitely running.  There’s never been a doubt,” he said.  “I love what I do. That’s capital L.O.V.E.  It’s a great county and I love serving the people of Bergen County.” 

William Polhemus, the 81-year-old Ocean County Sheriff, announced yesterday that he’ll seek re-election to a ninth term – six years after suggesting that he was ready to retire. There’s a strong chance that he’ll face a challenge in the Republican primary from a faction that won 45% of the vote in the 2008 primary for countywide office. And his decision to run isn’t good news for several career law enforcement officials – and possibly for Freeholder (and ’08 congressional candidate Jack Kelly) -- who have been eyeing part support for Sheriff under the assumption that Polhemus would step down.

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, with Freeholder David L. Ganz, is a possible candidate for U.S. Marshal in the Obama administration

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire is actively campaigning to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal when Barack Obama takes office as President next month.  McGuire, a two-term Sheriff and former policeman, has been using his political contacts to seek support from the two voters who will ultimately decide who Obama picks: U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.  McGuire's resume was submitted to the transition office last week.

Sources say that Gov. Jon Corzine, who does not have a vote in this election, is actively pushing Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff who now heads the police force of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has been on a leave of absence since September.

HACKENSACK – After a meeting that stretched over three hours, the Bergen County Democratic Organization’s executive committee called on indicted Chairman Joe Ferriero to resign by January 15th unless he is exonerated on all eight of the corruption charges he faces before then.

That was not what U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman was hoping for. He made a motion calling on Ferriero to resign immediately which was overwhelmingly rejected, with only three of the 40 members present voting in favor. Instead, a committee member Rothman did not want to identify motioned that Ferriero should resign by January 15th. That motion passed with 25 members voting yes, nine voting no and six abstaining.

“I did vote against it, because I thought that he should resign immediately,” said Rothman.