Sheila Oliver

One recurring theme in newspaper endorsements from across the state: some candidates don't properly prepare for editorial board meetings.  In several cases during this cycle, newspapers said they were reluctant to endorse incumbents, but had no choice after challengers were either ill-equipped to answer public policy questions, or simply did not respond to invitations to participate.  Newspapers wouldn't have necessarily endorsed the challengers if they met them, or if they were not competent, but incumbents are favored when the challengers don't even show up.

The Record and the Herald News still endorsed Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), likely to be the next Assembly Speaker, even though they were "skeptical, given the heavy influence of New Jersey's political machinery," of her claim to be an independent thinker - and despite her possession of another full-time government job. Oliver's GOP opponents did not meet with the newspaper's editorial board: "We have no sense of whether they can back up their promises."

In the neighboring 35th district, the Record and the Herald News lamented over their choices when they endorsed incumbents Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) and Elease Evans (D-Paterson).

"It is possible the Republicans would make excellent members of the Assembly, yet they did not meet with The Herald News' editorial board. Their positions on issues important to the state and to the district are less clear to us.  While we are not comfortable, given these difficult times, with two incumbents who hold close ties to the state's powerful unions, we cannot endorse challengers whose positions and allegiances are largely unknown," the editorials said.  "It would be better if voters in the 35th had a greater choice for Assembly. As it is, the choices are few, and from here, the known is a step above the unknown."

The Courier Post complained that two of the three Republican candidates for Camden County Freeholder wouldn't take their calls, and the third candidate was not even remotely ready for public office.  Brian Kluchnick, a GOP Assembly candidate in the fifth district, also didn't return phone calls.  The Courier-Post has surely shown a willingness to endorse Republican candidates.

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The Record and the Herald News have endorsed incumbent Democratic legislators in Districts 34 and 35, but said that they were "skeptical, given the heavy influence of New Jersey's political machinery" that Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) is an "independent thinker."

Oliver is expected to become the next Assembly Speaker when the Legislature reorganizes in January.  The two newspapers also endorsed Assemblyman Thomas Giblin (D-Montclair) for re-election.

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Three long-shot Assembly candidates today accused Gov. Jon Corzine of using his personal wealth to silence influential members of the black community on an issue they say they are their allies on: school vouchers.

"We strongly believe that school choice is the way out.  Many of these ministers have advocated the same thing, and ultimately you've seen the damaging impacts of Corzine's money," said Barry Funt, a Republican running for assembly in District 27 who has organized a group of mostly Republican Assembly challengers called "Citizens for Assembly."

Funt was joined by two black Assembly candidates - Herbert Glenn, a Republican running in District 28; and Rev. Clenard Childress, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent who is running in District 34.  Districts 28 and 34 are heavily Democratic.

At issue were the recent revelations that Corzine's philanthropic foundation last year gave $87,000 to the church of influential Reverend Reginald Jackson - who heads the Black Ministers Council and endorsed Corzine this month -- and $1 million three years ago to the Camden County nonprofit organization and church run by Rev. Bishop David G. Evans, who is a member of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority's board. 

"When you have a job that basically appears to be appointed by Democrats in New Jersey already and you're receiving cash grants or whatever loan funds from the governor, how much can you stand up and point to the gross negligence of African-American leadership, and leadership in this government," said District 28 Republican Assembly candidate Herb Glenn, referring to Evans. 

Still, the candidates were careful not to go out after the black religious leaders too forcefully. 

Glenn, who sat next to a photo of himself holding an umbrella over Jackson while he spoke at a July school choice rally in front of the State House, tempered his language on the Jackson. 

Jackson sits on the board of E3 (Excellent Education for Everyone) - a group that supports school vouchers, and has been an outspoken proponent of the idea.  Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie even engaged in a public flirtation with Jackson for his support.

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The Trenton Times has endorsed Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) and Assembly Commerce and Economic Development Committee Chairman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) for re-election.  Watson Coleman, a former Democratic State Chairman, remains a candidate for Assembly Speaker, even though a majority of the Democratic Caucus has endorsed Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) for the post. 

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Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), who has enough committed support to become the next Speaker, was unsuccessful in her initiative to organize a "unity" meeting of the Senate and Assembly Democrats in New Brunswick next week.  Oliver e-mailed an invitation to Democratic legislators around 5PM today, and then cancelled the event in less than an hour.

Click here to view Oliver's memos.

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Four Bergen County Democrats -- Valerie Huttle (D-Englewood), Gordon Johnson (D-Englewood), Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee), and Connie Wagner (D-Paramus) -- are expected to endorse Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) for Assembly Speaker today.  Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) also says he's voting for Oliver.  That would bring her hard count to 39.

Five incumbents seeking re-election have not yet disclosed their choice in the race for Speaker: Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), Elease Evans (D-Paterson), Nellie Pou (D-Paterson), Joan Quigley (D-Jersey City), Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), and Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilon).  A seventh incumbent, Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne), who is under indictment, has been tossed from the Democratic Caucus.

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The good news is that members of the New Jersey General Assembly are apparently not beholden to their campaign contributors.

Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), who appears to be the loser in the race for Speaker, has contributed $107,000 from her campaign account to Democratic Assembly candidates.  Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), the apparent winner in the Speaker sweepstakes, gave a total of $70 to Democratic Assembly candidates. 

Watson Coleman sent five contributions of $16,400 each to: Matthew Milam (D-Vineland) and Nelson Albano (D-Vineland) in District 1; Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.) and Bill Collins in District 4; Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) and Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton) in District 14; Frederick Scalera (D-Nutley) and Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) in District 36; and Joan Voss (D-Fort Lee) and Connie Wagner (D-Paramus) in District 38.

Oliver sent $70 to Elease Evans (D-Paterson) in District 35.

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Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), who has enough committed support to become the next Assembly Speaker, has a campaign war chest of $5,407, according to reports filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.  Oliver has raised $30,599 and spent $26,191.

Oliver has made relatively few campaign contributions: $3,200 to the Essex County Democratic Committee; $1,750 to the Passaic County Democratic Committee; $1,000 to Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign; $70 to Assemblywoman Elease Evans (D-Paterson), $100 to Passaic County Clerk candidate Keith Kazmark; $80 to Friends of Ron Rice; and $100 to the Woodland Park Democratic Committee.  (Evans is one of the legislators who has not yet endorsed in the race for Speaker.)

Her top donors - for now -- are SEIU Local 1199 ($8,200), NJEA ($3,000), AFSCME ($2,500), and the West Caldwell-based Community Education Centers ($2,500).

Oliver runs in District 34, which is among the safest Democratic districts in the state, and her reports indicate relatively few voter contact expenses.  She spent $2,000 on rent for her East Orange campaign headquarters, $330 for "campaign giveaways," and about $9,300 on a community picnic ($5,650 of that went to her event planner, political fundraiser Ray Ferrioli.)

Her campaign has contributed about $1,900 to various charities (but nothing to the North Ward Cultural Center or the Robert Treat Charter School), bought a $573 laptop from P.C. Richard, rented an $85 water cooler from Culligan, $60 to send flowers to a constituent, and spent $82 on a New York Times subscription.  She's also spent $995 since the June primary on cell phones from AT&T and T-Mobile, plus an additional $130 for a replacement phone. Read More >

PATERSON - If Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) endorses Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) for speaker, he wouldn't see the move as a self-destruct button on his own leadership chair.
 
"I'm saying it's not the end of the world if we had a senate president and a speaker from Essex County," said Codey, to stories suggesting Essex County fracture between Codey, who's trying to protect his senate presidency; and County Executive Joe Divincenzo, who supports Oliver for speaker and South Jersey Senate Majority Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford) as part of a North-South Jersey leadership trade-off.
 
Trying to succeed retiring Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) as the face of South Jersey leadership in Trenton, Sweeney has enough (14 of 23) votes in the Democratic caucus to extract Codey from the rostrum roost Codey has owned for six years. But Codey still hopes to build cross-the-aisle support in the Republican caucus to block his South Jersey rival and hold onto the senate presidency.
 
And he doesn't believe he needs to fight Oliver in the process, as he envisions an all-Essex leadership team - for two years.
 
"Who's the Speaker of the House?"
 
"Nancy Pelosi," was the answer.
 
"Who leads the U.S. Senate?"
 
A mind blurred over with Jersey political personages failed to immediately dredge the name of Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), but Codey made his point anyway.

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PATERSON - The guests came and kept coming, happily bellying up to the bar and spilling into the overflow rooms here at the Brownstone for a Sheila Oliver fundraiser even as Essex County Democratic Party Chairman Phil Thigpen upped the confidence decibel level with a release that all of the Assembly people from his powerful county delegation would back the East Orange Assemblywoman for speaker.

The email missive carried the latest piece of bad news for Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland), who's fighting to remain in his chair of power without a majority of the majority in his Democratic caucus and now with the lower house members from his home county throwing in with Oliver.

Poised to become the first African American woman speaker, Oliver is generally seen as a North Jersey counterweight to South Jersey state Sen. Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford), who has the Democratic Party votes in the senate to take Codey's job. The more support she builds, the tougher it becomes for Codey to justify sticking around as a double dose of Essex in both the speaker's and Senate president's chairs.

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