Robert Smith

There is speculation among key Democrats that Senate Judiciary Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) will endorse Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President, possibly as early as this week.  Sarlo had previously refused to publicly state his preference, but late last week supporters of incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) had listed the Bergen County Democrat as one of their likely votes in the upcoming leadership fight.  Sarlo would represent a major defection from the Codey camp.

Sarlo's relatively early endorsement of Sweeney extends an alliance with South Jersey Democrats that began when he backed U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-Haddon Heights) over incumbent Frank Lautenberg (D-Cliffside Park) in the 2008 U.S. Senate primary.  That alliance could help him win a race for Majority Leader, with Sweeney's backing.  Sarlo was Codey's candidate for Majority Leader in 2007, but was defeated by Sweeney.

The Senate Judiciary Committee held the nomination of Middlesex County Sheriff and Democratic County Chairman Joseph Spicuzzo to the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority after Spicuzzo, recovering from the flu, was unable to travel to Trenton.  State Sen. Robert Smith (D-Piscataway) sought to have Spicuzzo testify by telephone.  The panel tried it, but after Spicuzzo had trouble hearing the Senators, and after Republicans objected to the precedent of interviewing nominees by phone, Judiciary Committee Chairman Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) held the nomination.  That means Spicuzzo won't get on the Sports Authority until the Senate returns for a lame duck session after the November election.

It's called making perfection the enemy of the good and it's the first lesson of legislating.

Every legislative action involves compromise. Effective leadership means doing the best that you can to get the best result. Freshman legislators often make the mistake of demanding too much and being left out of the final product. By wanting perfection, they become the enemy of the good and the final result can be failure.

This is exactly the scenario that played out last week in the New Jersey Legislature. State Senator Bob Smith introduced legislation for a $600 million bond issue for open space preservation.

This has always been the most popular cause in New Jersey. Dwindling open space and rising congestion is destroying our quality of life, choking our economy and impacting our health. We're not only the most densely populated state in the nation, we've now past India as one of the most densely populated places on earth.

Republicans have never won in the 20th district, one of districts in the state that have never flipped parties. State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) won 57% in the GOP landslide year of 1991, the worst general election showing of his 32-year political career.

There was a redistricting frenzy after the U.S. Supreme Court's Reynolds v. Sims one man, one vote ruling of 1964.  The Legislature had a new map for the 1965 election, followed by additional maps in 1967, 1969, 1971, and 1973.  It wasn't until 1973 that New Jersey went to forty districts, each with one Senate seat and two Assembly seats.  Since that map, about three-quarters of the districts have elected legislators from both parties. 

The current 5th district went Democratic in 1973 when Assembly Minority Leader John Horn ousted one-term Republican State Sen. Frank Italiano.  Italiano was the last Republican legislator from the City of Camden.  He resigned his seat during the lame duck session after his appointment to the Superior Court.

Republicans have held the Somerset County-based 16th district, although future Commissioner of Human Services Tim Carden nearly won an Assembly seat in 1977, even though State Sen. Raymond Bateman was at the top of the ticket as the GOP candidate for Governor.

Democrats have never lost the Middlesex-based 17th, which was dominated by the father and son John Lynch team despite the younger Lynch's near-loss to Edward Tiller in 1991.  The district was briefly represented by a Republican when Assemblywoman Angela Perun switched parties after Democrats dropped her from their ticket in 1985.  As a Republican, she lost by just a few hundred votes to the Mayor of Piscataway, Bob Smith.

In 1991, Republicans almost won an Assembly seat in the Union County-based 20th, when Richard Hunt came within 900 votes of beating the venerable Thomas Dunn, the seven-term Mayor of Elizabeth and former State Senator.  Raymond Lesniak won a fourth term with 57% of the vote, the lowest general election percentage of his thirty year political career.

Three Essex County districts have never elected Republicans: the ones now represented by Richard Codey, Ronald Rice and Teresa Ruiz.  Another Essex district, won by Democrats in 1973 when Nutley Mayor Carmen Orechio ousted Republican State Sen. Michael Giuliano, regularly elected Democrats and Republicans to the Assembly until it was eliminated in 1991.  The seat was shifted to Ocean and Burlington counties, and now the 30th only elects Republicans.

While Republicans held four Hudson County Assembly seats (Districts 32 and 33) from 1986 to 1988 - their first legislative victory since 1920 - Democrats have never lost the 31st.  Their closest call came in 1991, when Bret Schundler won 42% against Democratic State Sen. Edward O'Connor.  Schundler was elected Mayor the following year in a non-partisan race. 

In Bergen County, Democrats have kept a firm grip on the 37th since Matthew Feldman ousted Republican State Sen. Joseph Woodcock in 1973.  And the Republicans have never lost in the 40th, which now includes parts of Passaic and Essex counties.

Under the current map drawn in 2001, districts 1, 2, 4, 7, 12, 14, 36, and 38 have been won by at least one Democrat and one Republican. 

Over the years, there have been some surprise winners - usually in a landslide year like 1973, 1985 or 1991.  A partial list includes:

Lawyers will be the minority on the 2009 State Senate Judiciary Committee headed by engineer Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge)

For the first time since the new State Constitution was approved in 1947, a majority of members of the 2009 New Jersey State Senate Judiciary Committee -- six of eleven -- are not lawyers.  Chairman Paul Sarlo and Vice Chairman John Girgenti are not attorneys, as is fellow Democrat Loretta Weinberg.  Among the Republicans, Gerald Cardinale (who serves as the unofficial ranking Republican), Joseph Kyrillos and Jennifer Beck are not attorneys.

The lawyers on the Judiciary Committee are Democrats Raymond Lesniak, Nicholas Scutari, Robert Smith and Nia Gill, and Republican Bill Baroni. 

Senate President Richard Codey, who is responsible for the non-lawyer a majority -- a move some pols are applauding -- is one of a few non-lawyers to serve as Senate President.

Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson remains the leading candidate to become Jon Corzine's Chief of Staff when Bradley Abelow leaves.  Speculation of Abelow's departure has persistsed for the last six months, but sources close to the administration say the former Goldman Sachs partner will most certainly be gone by the end of the year.  Democratic insiders say that Maggie Moran, Corzine's politically savvy Deputy Chief of Staff for the last four years (and State Director when he was in the Senate) will leave state government to become manage the Governor's re-election campaign. 

Middlesex County Democratic Party Chairman Joseph Spicuzzo said he will award the organization line to the winners of the March 5 party convention – including U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

“I am bound by the decisions made by our Democratic committeemen and committeewomen during that nominating convention,” said Spicuzzo. “I am aware, of course, that there is a significant difference of opinion being expressed by several of our party leaders. However, at least during the years of my chairmanship, we have awarded the line and its slogan, ‘Middlesex County Democratic Organization,’ to those winners.”

Updated: Two State Senators from Middlesex County, Robert Smith and Barbara Buono, have endorsed Rob Andrews for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination.  A third Senator, Joseph Vitale, is expected to join them.

"We have the privilege of representing the people of Middlesex County and know their concerns well.  We respect the service of Senator Frank Lautenberg in all respects.  After consulting with our communities and carefully considering the options, we have concluded that New Jersey and the country need new leadership and thus we will support your campaign for the United States Senate," Smith and Buono wrote in a letter to Andrews.

"While effectively serving your congressional district, you have always remained dedicated to all New Jersey residents, especially when it comes to issues such as education, healthcare, the environment and the interests of our seniors.  Your unique knowledge of such a broad range of issues facing New Jersey and the country is truly invaluable, which makes you a great candidate to serve the entire state of New Jersey,"  the Senator said.  "Your record as a legislator and your unwavering commitment to the residents of New Jersey over the past 18 years has earned you the respect of residents throughout the state.  We believe it is time to give the voters of New Jersey a choice in this year's primary, and thus we want to make public our endorsement for your candidacy to seek the Democratic nomination for United States Senate.  We are proud to stand with you in a positive, substantive campaign to change New Jerse  and the nation for the better."

One possible candidate for the open Middlesex County Freeholder seat is Piscataway Councilwoman Millie Scott.  If elected, she would become the first African American to serve on the Middlesex Board of Freeholders.  Four-term Freeholder Camille Fernicola, who spent fifteen years as a Piscataway Councilwoman before winning countywide office, announced yesterday that she would not seek re-election.  Some Middlesex insiders view this as the Piscataway seat, and say that Scott – an ally of State Senator Robert Smith – is a strong contender.

Former Assemblywoman Angela Perun died last week at the age of 85. She was elected to the Plainfield City Council in 1977 and to the State Assembly in 1981, representing the 17th district, which included New Brunswick, Piscataway and Highland Park. When Middlesex County Democrats dumped her from their ticket in 1985, she switched parties and sought a third term as a Republican. She was defeated, narrowly, by Democrat Robert Smith.