Robert Littell

State Sen. Robert Littell, the dean of the New Jersey Legislature, will not seek re-election to another term in the Senate.  The 71-year-old Sussex County Republican was elected to the State Assembly in 1967, and moved up to the State Senate when Wayne Dumont left in 1990.

Littell's retirement sets up a 24th district Senate primary between Assemblyman Guy Gregg and Littell's hand-picked successor, Sussex County Freeholder Steve Oroho.  Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, the Senator's daughter, will seek re-election on Oroho's slate.

LACKAWANNA CUT-OFF BILL ROLLING FORWARD

Legislation Sponsored by Senate Republican Budget Officer Robert E. Littell (R-Sussex/Morris/Hunterdon) calling for the reactivation of the “Lackawanna Cutoff passenger rail line in northwestern New Jersey passed the full Senate today.

LACKAWANNA CUT RESOLUTION ROLLS FORWARD
Restoration of Historic Rail Line will Reduce Congestion & Improve the Environment

Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert E. Littell (R-Sussex/Morris/Hunterdon) urging the commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Federal Transit Administration and the New Jersey Transit Corporation to work together to restore rail passenger service on the dormant Lackawanna Cut-Off rail line from Port Morris, New Jersey, to Scranton, Pennsylvania was favorably released from the Senate Transportation Committee. Passenger service on the rail line ended in 1970.

NEW DEMOCRAT TAX WILL PUNISH N.J. BUSINESS
Family Leave Bill Will Hurt Job Growth & Help Raise Property Taxes

Senator Robert E. Littell, (R-24), cast a vote against S-2249 today, which would create an unprecedented 12 week Paid Family Leave program in New Jersey funded through employee contributions to the Temporary Disability Insurance Program (TDI).

INACTION ON ABBOTT WASTE INSULTS TAXPAYERS
Reckless Spending Goes on Unchecked by Trenton Democrats

Senate Republican Budget Officer Robert E. Littell (R-Sussex/Morris/Hunterdon) issued the following statement regarding to reports that Abbott school districts spent monies with little in-house oversight and controls according to audits released by the Department of Education.

LITTELL INTRODUCES BILL TO BLOCK TURNPIKE SALE
Bill Would Let Voters Decide on State Asset Sales in Excess of $100 Million

Senator Robert E. Littell (R-Sussex/Morris/Hunterdon) announced today his intention to introduce legislation to permit the voters of this State to decide on the advisability of selling State assets with a value of $100 million or more. The legislation is in response to attempts by prominent Democrats to sell or lease the New Jersey Turnpike to foreign interests.

All five members of the Sussex County Board of Freeholders could be running for office this year: Hal Wirths and Steve Oroho will seek re-election, while Susan Zellman, Glenn Vetrano and Gary Chiusano say they are considering bid for the State Assembly. The contest will be framed by the Senate race, where longtime incumbent Robert Littell faces a primary challenge from Assemblyman Guy Gregg.

That sets up the possibility of two slates: Littell, running with Vetrano and his daughter, Assemblywoman Alison McHose; and Gregg, running with Zellman and Chiusano. Of the Freeholder candidates, Oroho supports Littell, while Wirths, for know, is neutral.

Other possible Assembly candidates include former Mount Olive Mayor Paul Lacitra, Morris County Freeholder Margaret Norstrom, and Tewksbury Mayor Shaun Van Doren.

Gregg's campaign will be managed by his predecessor, Richard Kamin, a lobbyist at GluckShaw. Kamin served as Morris County GOP Chairman and as an Assemblyman before becoming state Motor Vehicles Director in 1994.

With contested Senate and Assembly races fifteen legislative districts so far, the spring campaign season of conventions and primaries is shaping up to be a far more lively campaign season than the fall.

In a grudge match that could settle lingering hostilities from the 1994 GOP congressional primary, two Republicans are battling for the chance to succeed retiring State Senator Bill Gormley. Assembly Minority Whip Frank Blee, who has Gormley's strong support, faces Sonny McCullough, the longtime Mayor of Egg Harbor Township. McCullough has the backing of Congressman Frank LoBiondo, who defeated Gormley in the '94 primary.

Some second district Republicans say that Atlantic County Republicans could cut a deal with McCullough to avoid a divisive Special Election Convention and/or primary: they could offer him Blee's Assembly seat (a bird-in-hand for McCullough, who could be in the Legislature as early as February), and let other Republicans, including Brigantine Mayor Philip Guenther and former Freeholder John Risley, battle it out among Atlantic Republicans for the second Assembly seat.

The winner of the GOP Senate battle will face Democratic Assemblyman James Whelan, the former Mayor of Atlantic City. Both parties have a deep farm system, and competition for the four major party Assembly nominations is fairly intense.

In Northwestern New Jersey, the venerable Robert Littell, a legislator since 1967, faces a primary challenge for his Senate seat from conservative Guy Gregg, a seven-term Assemblyman. The 70-year-old Littell, whose last tough races were stiff primary challenges more than a decade ago, has had some serious health issues in recent years. At stake is the family Senate seat: Littell's father held it in the 1940's and 1950's, and his daughter, Assemblywoman Alison Littell McHose, wants to move to the upper house someday.

Gregg is set to formally announce over the next several weeks, although some Republicans wonder if he will actually pull the trigger. The Pallonian Republican had run for the United States Senate in 2002, but unexpectedly withdrew on filing day. And there is still some question about which Littell will actually file for the Senate this year.

There will be strong competition for Gregg's open Assembly seat.

In Essex County, veteran State Senator Ronald Rice is expected to seek re-election to an eighth term without the support of the Essex County Democratic organization. Newark Mayor Cory Booker, who defeated Rice last year, is backing Freeholder Bilal Beasley, an Irvington Councilman. In the other Newark district, State Senator Sharpe James, the former Mayor, has not revealed his re-election plans. If he does run, he will most certainly face a primary challenge -- probably against Newark City Councilman Luis Quintana.

In the Assembly, there is considerable speculation that Democrats will dump incumbents Oadline Truitt (28th) and Wilfredo Caraballo (29th) from their line. Truitt will likely go away without a struggle, but Caraballo has been exploring an independent re-election bid. Rice is recruiting running mates, assuring an Assembly primary in that district as well.

Two Democratic Senators from Hudson County may be facing the toughest races of their lengthy political careers. In the 31st district, State Senator Joseph Doria, the Mayor of Bayonne, is being challenged by Sandra Bolden Cunningham, whose late husband served as Mayor of Jersey City and State Senator. Senate Majority Leader Bernard Kenny, the Hudson County Democratic Chairman, is about to get tossed off his own line; he has not yet announced if he will fight to keep his seat against Assemblyman Brian Stack, the Mayor of Union City. There will be contested Assembly primaries in these districts also.

In the 37th district, Bergen County Democratic Chairman Joseph Ferriero has endorsed Loretta Weinberg's bid for re-election to a second term, seemingly pulling the plug on former Assemblyman Ken Zisa, who had been seeking a rematch after losing the seat to Weinberg in 2005 by just one vote. But Weinberg is fighting to get her running mates -- Gordon Johnson and Valerie Vainieri Huttle -- re-elected, and she could wind up with a primary if she opts to run with Johnson and Hutttle off the organization line.

The threat of a GOP primary challenge has been looming against 39th district Assembly incumbents John Rooney and Charlotte Vandervalk for almost a year, and while no candidates have stepped forward so far, most Bergen Republicans expect a slate to emerge. Two Democrats are jockeying for the chance to run against longtime GOP State Senator Gerald Cardinale: Joseph Ariyan, a 41-year-old lawyer from Saddle River and the Bergen County Public Advocate for Land Use; and Dennis Testa, the Vice President of the Bergen County Education Association.

Retirements have sparked some excellent Assembly races for open seats: there a multiple candidate fields in the 9th, 11th, 12th, 16th, 24th and 26th districts.

VETERANS TO KEEP FREE ACCESS TO PARKS
Littell Bill to Protect Vets to Park System Advances to Senate Floor

Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert E. Littell (R-Sussex/Morris/Hunterdon) to provide free admission for veterans to State parks and forests during events held by veterans’ organizations was reported from the Senate Environment Committee today.

LITTELL/MCHOSE SCOOTER BILL SIGNED INTO LAW
Legislation victory for the mobility challenged

Legislation sponsored by Senator Robert Littell and Assemblywoman Alison McHose (both R-Sussex, Morris, Hunterdon) which would require local municipalities to allow persons with mobility related disorders to operate personal scooters on public roads was signed into law today by the Governor. The bill, S-1074, was drafted in response to a case in Sussex County where a mobility impaired young man, Matthew Tempe of Hamburg, was ticketed for operating his scooter on the public roads.