Sheila Oliver

Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange)

ORANGE - Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver's (D-East Orange) first foray into Essex County politics was as a kamikaze freeholder candidate in the 1990s running on a line with renegade state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Roseland).

Codey won and Oliver lost, and now years later it looks as though Senate President Codey's headed for a leadership defeat in his caucus as Oliver musters support on top of support in her quest to be the first African American woman speaker of the Assembly, but in the process faces a home county in which a Codey defeat could mean civil war.

Oliver has yet to announce the support of any assembly people from Essex County, but she's working on it, while also respecting, she says, political protocol and the reality that Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen still stands with Codey.

"I am attempting to ameliorate Essex County; I believe Chairman Thigpen will avert a civil war and at the end of the day Essex County will be together," she insisted, speaking to the stunning news this morning that Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) summoned enough Democratic caucus backing to beat Senate President Codey when the senate reconvenes after the gubernatorial election on Nov. 3rd.

Among the fourteen backers (including Sweeney himself), two senators declaring their support for South Jerseyan Sweeney over Essex County's own Codey are county employees, state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark) and state Sen. Nia Gill (D-Montclair).

The fact that Oliver also works for the county as an assistant county administrator sent waves of anxiety through those Codey forces concerned with the concentration of too much power in the office of County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo. seeking a third term next year - probably not without a fight at this point.

Now with the real threat of a Codey retaliation against DiVincenzo, Oliver said the boss factor - namely DiVincenzo's closeness to North Ward Leader Steve Adubato and Adubato's alliance with South Jersey Democratic leader (and Sweeney-backer) George Norcross III - is a non-issue.

"I am the most independent person ever elected," said the assemblywoman from East Orange whose five and a half years in the legislature make her the second longest-serving assemblyperson from the Essex delegation after Assemblyman John McKeon (D-West Orange).

Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman says she's not giving up on running for Speaker, even though the momentum seems to be with Sheila Oliver

Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Trenton) says she’s still interested in becoming Assembly Speaker, but she doesn’t want to talk about it until after the November general election.

“In order for us to have any discussion on November the 4th, I need to be focused on returning our majority,” she said.  “I think that any of the discussion about who’s going to be what, who’s got what and who’s going to do what is a family discussion that will be had at the appropriate time.”

Watson openly announced that she was interested in the leadership position as soon as current Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden) announced his impending retirement.  But today her chances of winning the spot diminished as a host of legislators lined up behind Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange).

“My position has not changed about my interest.  My focus is still on getting the governor reelected and our majority reelected,” she said.

Watch for more breaking news in the races for legislative leadership positions today, possibly with Union County Democrats announcing their support of Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) for Speaker. An announcement by Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) that he’ll back Oliver will mean an additional four votes for the Essex County Democrat’s fledgling campaign.

Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) is now the front runner in the race for Assembly Speaker.

The Southern New Jersey Assembly delegation has endorsed Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) to become the Assembly Speaker, making the Essex County Democrat the front runner in her bid to succeed Joseph Roberts (D-Camden).

Late last night, Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) dropped his own bid for Speaker and endorsed Oliver.  There is strong speculation that Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D-Union), the Democratic State Chairman, will also back Oliver, along with the other three members of the Union County Assembly delegation.  Six votes out of Essex County would give Oliver the votes she needs to win the leadership post.

Democrats say that Cryan is emerging as the leading candidate for Majority Leader. The current Majority Leader, Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) is running for Speaker.  So far she only has votes from Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton) and herself. 

The South Jersey delegation includes Assemblymen Nelson Albano (D-Vineland), Matthew Milam (D-Vineland), John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro), Paul Moriarty (D-Washington Twp.), Louis Greenwald (D-Voorhees), Herbert Conaway (D-Delano), and Jack Conners (D-Pennsauken), Assemblywomen Celeste Riley (D-Bridgeton) and Pamela Lampitt (D-Cherry Hill), and Democratic Assembly candidates Bill Collins, Donald Norcross, and Angel Fuentes.  Only Albano and Milam face competitive re-election campaigns.
   
"We are honored to endorse the candidacy of Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver to become our next Speaker, because Assemblywoman Oliver offers strong leadership at a time when our state needs it most," said Greenwald, the Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee.  "Assemblywoman Oliver has been a passionate advocate for New Jersey's struggling families and will lead the fight to make New Jersey affordable again for future generations."

The unexpected announcement late this evening by John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) that he would drop his fledgling campaign for Assembly Speaker and support Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) is a clear sign that key North Jersey Democrats will back Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford) for Senate President, Oliver for Speaker, and possible Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) for Assembly Majority Leader.

Support for Oliver, a relatively obscure Essex County Democrat, is reminiscent of the surprise move in 2001 to dump Joseph Doria (D-Bayonne) as the likely Speaker and replace him with freshman Albio Sires (D-West New York).  Oliver is a protégé of Newark Democratic leader Stephen Adubato, who is a close political ally of South Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross.  She is the Assistant Essex County Administrator. 

If there is a deal with South Jersey, Oliver could potentially start the race with between sixteen and eighteen votes, depending on who wins the hotly contested first district Assembly race.  And if there is a deal with Cryan, Oliver could add four more votes out of Union County.   Wisniewski could put her at 21.

Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) has dropped out of the race for Assembly Speaker and endorsed Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange).

"After careful consideration, and in an attempt to strengthen the unity of the Assembly Democratic caucus, I have decided to end my bid to become the next Speaker of the General Assembly.  I will instead be supporting Assemblywoman Shelia Oliver to succeed Joe Roberts as our next Speaker," Wisniewski said in a statement released late this evening.

Wisniewski's withdrawal comes four days after four Democratic Assemblymen from Middlesex County said they would back his bid for Speaker.

Frank "Pat" Dodd (D-West Orange), above, wanted to serve as second two-year term as Senate President, but dropped out when Majority Leader Matthew Feldman (D-Teaneck) had the votes.

Post-Election Day politics in New Jersey might feature as many as five contested races for Legislative leadership positions: Senate President, Assembly Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, Assembly Majority Leader, and Assembly Minority Leader. 

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) faces a challenge from Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).  Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts (D-Camden) is retiring; Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman is running for Speaker against John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville), and possibly against Democratic State Chairman Joseph Cryan (D-Union) and Sheila Oliver (D-Adubato).  Those races create openings for Majority Leader; perhaps more importantly, the contests create campaigns for Senate Judiciary Chairman and for Budget and Appropriations committee chairmanships in both houses.

Some of New Jersey's best leadership fights:

The race for Assembly Speaker is causing political headaches for Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro),  who will  steer clear of an endorsement until her own re-election campaign is over.  On Friday, Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Joseph Spicuzzo announced that the entire Middlesex Democratic Assembly delegation would back John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) for Speaker.  That put Greenstein, a five-term Democratic lawmaker from Middlesex, in hot water with Mercer County Democrats, who are backing Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) for the post.  Greenstein's district is evenly divided between Middlesex and Mercer.

Spicuzzo's announcement that Greenstein was backing Wisniewski upset Mercer County Executive Brian Hughes, who is backing Watson Coleman.  Hughes convinced Greenstein to back off her pledge to Spicuzzo and remain comfortably on the sidelines.    For Wisniewski, it means that a campaign that was just hours old already had a defection.

This is bad news for Watson Coleman, who was assuming the support of Greenstein and hoping for the backing of Wayne DeAngelo (D-Hamilton).  With African American legislators sidelined as another candidate, Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) mulls a bid for Speaker, all Watson Coleman really has at this point is one vote from her running mate, Reed Gusciora (D-Princeton), and her own. 

Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-South Brunswick), left, campaigning in 2007.

Clarifying a release issued yesterday concerning the Middlesex County delegation's endorsement for Assembly Speaker of Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville), Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D-South Brunswick) said she has made no endorsement in that emerging contest, and does not intend to endorse anytime soon. 

"I'm focused on my election and the governor's election and I have made it clear that I wont issue any public endorsement until after the election," said Greenstein.

In addition to Wisniewski, sources say Assembly Majority Leader Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), Assemblyman Joe Cryan (D-Union Township), Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Cherry Hill), Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange), and Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Paulsboro) are all potential candidates for the Speaker's chair to be vacated at the end of this year by retiring Speaker Joe Roberts (D-Camden).

ATLANTIC CITY - Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) walked out of the carpeted Trump Plaza Casino on Friday night leaving no doubt that he's ready for a fight, indeed in a fight.

"Take your best shot," a skeptic said to him and Codey good-naturedly did, playfully wrestling the challenger while telling his security escort, "It's all right, I can handle this."

The escort stood at parade rest.

"And I can handle Sweeney," Codey said moments later, referring to Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford), who's challenging him for the Senate Presidency, who last week said, "I can take Codey with one hand tied behind my back." 

Designed to showcase base support for Gov Jon Corzine, the Democratic Convention in Atlantic City simultaneously served as a bicameral crucible for both Codey versus Sweeney intrigue and a brewing lower house leadership fight.