Stephen Sweeney

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) says a well-known Republican research consultant has requested his financial disclosures.

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) took the preemptive step today of announcing that he is the target of an opposition researcher. 

Christopher Lyon, who typically works for Republican candidates, filed an OPRA request for Codey's financial disclosure forms going back to 1974 - his first year in the legislature.  In a press release, Codey - while not naming anyone - insinuated that Lyon is connected to rival Democrats who are challenging him for the senate presidency. 

Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford), who is backed by South Jersey power broker George Norcross, is taking on Codey in an intra-party battle that has played out in the media for the last month.   

"This is typical of what you go through when you oppose certain people in New Jersey.  It's despicable," said Codey.  "I'm not a candidate for public office, so who would have a motive to do this?  It also begs the question of whether anyone who would choose to associate themselves with such a morally reprehensible figure is cut from the same cloth."

Codey has in the past explicitly charged Norcross with being behind opposition research against him.  After attorney Mark Sheridan - who is general counsel to the Republican State Committee - filed dozens of OPRA requests regarding Codey's former insurance company's contract with various municipalities, Codey told the Star-Ledger that he suspected Sheridan was working at the behest of Norcross.  Sheridan denied it, telling the paper they were made on behalf of an unrelated client.

Lyon's last known foray into New Jersey politics was on behalf of state Sen. Tom Kean, Jr.'s (R-Westfield) 2006 U.S. Senate campaign against Bob Menendez (D-Hoboken), when he tracked down a taped recording of Menendez ally Donald Scarinci asking a Hudson County contractor to hire someone as a "favor" to Menendez. 

Reached by phone, Lyon responded generally to Codey's release and would not say who hired him.  

"I'm not going to dignify it with a comment other than it's just plain silly," he said.

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:

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.

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.

As Gov. Jon Corzine prepares to for the gubernatorial debates, he has asked Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford)  to play his Republican opponent, former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie.  That may cause some buzz among Democrats who have noticed that Corzine did not ask Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland), who was New Jersey's Governor from 2004 to 2006.  Sweeney is expected to challenge Codey in a leadership fight set for after the general election. 

Christie has picked State Sen. Bill Baroni (R-Hamilton) to play Corzine.  Baroni has played Corzine in Republican U.S. Senate candidate Bob Franks' 2000 debate preparations, and played U.S. Senator Robert Menendez when Republican Tom Kean was preparing for his 2006 debate.

It's likely that no one has an accurate head count in the likely race for Senate President between incumbent Richard Codey (D-Roseland) and Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-West Deptford).  If the race is decided without the input of the Republican Caucus, twelve votes are needed to win - maybe.

The status of two Democratic Senators, as they relate to a leadership vote, is still undetermined.  Dana Redd (D-Camden) is almost certain to win her bid to become Mayor of Camden.  Since new dual office holding is no prohibited, she must resign her Senate seat upon taking the oath as Mayor on January 1.  Since she will not be a member of the 214th Legislature that organizes on January 12, she is not expected to take part in a leadership election.  Camden County Democrats might need to move Redd out of the Senate before January 1 so that her successor is seated in time to participate in the leadership election.

The issue with Weinberg is more complicated.  If she wins her race for Lt. Governor, she would still be a Senator for the week between the legislative reorganization and the gubernatorial inauguration.  (It's similar to Donald DiFrancesco leaving as Acting Governor a week before James E. McGreevey was sworn in because his term in the Senate had expired.)  But Weinberg, as the Lt. Governor-elect, might be reluctant to take sides in the Codey/Sweeney fight.  Like Redd, she could opt to leave the Senate early so that the new District 37 Senator could be in place.

As the current Democratic leader, Codey has the advantage of being the one to schedule the leadership election vote.  And he can do so with the knowledge of a specific head count on a specific date.  The special election conventions to replace Redd and Weinberg, if necessary, cannot occur less than seven days after the resignation date.

Senate sources suggest that Codey has nine solid votes: Nia Gill (D-Montclair), John Girgenti (D-Hawthorne), Robert Gordon (D-Fair Lawn), Ronald Rice (D-Newark), Nicholas Sacco (D-North Bergen), Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), Shirley Turner (D-Lawrenceville), and Joseph Vitale (D-Woodbridge).  Sweeney is believed to have five  certain votes: James Beach (D-Voorhees), Frederick Madden (D-Washington Twp.), Jefferson Van Drew (D-Dennis), and James Whelan (D-Atlantic City).  A sixth vote would come from the new Senator from the fifth district; it is a safe assumption that Sweeney will figure out how to ensure that he has that vote.

Team Codey believes they have Robert Smith (D-Piscataway), while Sweeney backers say he is gettable for them.  Some Democrats say Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) is for Codey, but others suggest that Scutari won't decide until after Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) figures out where he is. South Jersey Democrats view Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark) as being for Sweeney, largely because her political mentor, Stephen Adubato, Sr., is said to be for him.  But other Democrats say Ruiz is not a definite anti-Codey vote.  Neither camp is sure where Barbara Buono (D-Metuchen), Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City), and Brian Stack (D-Union City) will wind up.

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) greets Newark South Ward Councilman Oscar James II at President Barack Obama's rally this summer.

Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts' retirement announcement means the north-south civil war just intensified, as veteran Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) looks to defend his chair at the head of the rostrum against Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney (D-West Deptford).
 
These two Democratic Party leaders come from different places, and not just geographically.
 
Ironworker Sweeney operates within the structure of the same South Jersey organization developed in part by Roberts and South Jersey Democratic Leader George Norcross III, which numbers 18 legislators strong. Roberts's departure at the end of the year places the burden on Sweeney - the next highest ranked South Jersey lawmaker - to wrest control of the upper house from the North Jersey-based Codey.
 
A insurance broker by trade with 35 years of legislative experience, Codey survives because of his ability to embody the solitary lawmaker who keeps his own counsel, who doesn't get bullied, and who relies on public appeal developed during his service as interim governor from 2004-2006 to counter the perception of statewide rule by machine politics.
 
If Sweeney's status as a dual office holder (he serves as freeholder director of Gloucester County in addition to senator) and machine product weaken his ability to stand convincingly on the Democratic Party's new era pedestal, Codey's image suffers as the former holder of multiple public sector insurance contracts, which made him a bundle of money during the course of his career in public service.

The relationship between Gov. Jon Corzine and his predecessor, Richard Codey, has never been warm and fuzzy.  So when Corzine tells a group of union members on Friday that "it's  great to be at the Steve Sweeney for Senate Presidency breakfast," it is reasonable for some Democrats to wonder if this was the governor's way of taking sides in Sweeney's upcoming challenge to Codey for Senate President.  Then again, Corzine has never been the greatest communicator, and it's possible he just stuck his foot in his mouth.

SWEENEY:  CHRISTIE’S ‘MANDATE-FREE’ PLAN WILL SLASH MEDICAL THERAPY & TREATMENTS FOR NEW JERSEY CHILDREN WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES

(SEWELL)  -- Senate Majority Leader Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) today said that Right Wing Conservative Republican Chris Christie’s proposal for “mandate-free” plans would be disastrous, since it would give health insurance companies in New Jersey free reign to drop coverage for critical treatment for children with autism.

Corzine, Weinberg and her family this afternoon in Englewood

ENGLEWOOD – In front of an audience packed with both her long time loyalists and former foes within the Democratic Party, state Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck) joined Gov. Jon Corzine on stage today as a take-no-prisoners, unapologetically progressive and ethical grandmother who, as Corzine’s new pick for lieutenant governor, hopes to boost  Corzine’s now underdog bid for reelection.

“In case you haven’t heard this before, I am a feisty Jewish grandmother from Bergen County.  I will never be accused of being part of any – of any—insider political club,” said Weinberg at this afternoon’s rollout of her candidacy at the Bergen Performing Arts Center. 

After spending months on Corzine’s shortlist for the number two spot, Weinberg, who has served in the legislature since 1992, was finally tapped yesterday.  The pick was heavily influenced by the dozens of corruption busts that rocked the state’s political scene on Thursday.  Democrats hope that Weinberg, who has authored several ethics bills and took on an allegedly corrupt party boss in her native Bergen County, will keep Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie – who started his candidacy on his record as an anti-corruption crusading U.S. Attorney – from complete domination on the ethics front. 

Even before Thursday’s events, polls showed Christie with an eight to 15 point lead. 

There are several other rationales for the selection.  They include a geographical component, with Bergen County (population 884,000) being the biggest in the state and expected to be hotly contested in November; and the age component, with Weinberg, 74, appealing to seniors (Senate President Dick Codey (D-Roseland) called her “The Real Grandmother of New Jersey” in his remarks today).