Stephen Sweeney

Assemblyman Mike Doherty returned a pro-business PAC contribution because the group gave to pro-labor DemocratsAngry about the New Jobs Political Action Committee’s donations to Democratic legislators and leadership PACs, Assemblyman Michael Doherty returned the $2,000 contribution the group gave to his Assembly campaign last month.

“The New Jobs PAC is selling out it members. Never before has the New Jersey business community been under assault as it is today,” said Dohrety. “How is the New Jobs PAC representing its member businesses when it endorses and supports anti-business candidates?”

Doherty was particularly upset that the group gave donations to Democratic leadership PACs and prominent Democrats like Assembly Speaker Joe Roberts and Senate President Richard J. Codey, who may post state Sen. Stephen Sweeney’s paid family leave act – a bill Doherty thinks is particularly anti-business. The group gave equal donations to Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce and the Republican leadership PACs.

The Star-Ledger's The Auditor broke an interesting piece of Trenton insider news on Sunday with a report that Senate President Richard Codey might pick a Republican, Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, as the new Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman.  That would help Codey avoid having to choose between the two top Democratic aspirants: Barbara Buono and Paul Sarlo.  Buono and Sarlo each believe they have a commitment to get the post.

State Sen. Ray Lesniak was the kingmaker in the race for Senate Majority LeaderThe surging south got a seat at the table today, with third district state Sen. Stephen Sweeney chosen as majority leader after a hard fought, emotional battle with state Sen. Paul Sarlo.

Although the decision-making process was closed and the official decision was unanimous, sources say that Sweeney had the support of 14 of the 23 member caucus. Backing Sweeney were the expected south Jersey contingent -- Jeff Van Drew, Jim Whelan, Fred Madden, Dana Redd and John Adler. But he also had support from Senators from the rest of the state -- Brian Stack, Sandra Bolden Cunningham, Barbara Buono, Nicholas Scutari, Bob Smith, Ray Lesniak, Joe Vitale and Loretta Weinberg.

Stephen Sweeney was elected Senate Majority Leader today, defeating Paul Sarlo.  While technically the unanimous choice, Sweeney had the support of 14 Senators and Sarlo had the backing of 9.

Richard Codey was re-elected Senate President without opposition. Sweeney, a labor leader and Gloucester County Freeholder, becomes the first South Jerseyan to serve as Majority Leader since Daniel Dalton in 1991.

Codey, according to sources, proposed a delay in the Majority Leader vote – a move that was defeated by a 12-11 margin (with Loretta Weinberg as the deciding vote). Codey then proposed a vote by closed ballot; that motion was defeated by a larger margin.

According to information provided by several individuals who were part of the leadership election process, Sweeney’s fourteen votes came from the six South Jersey Senators, three Senators from Middlesex County, the two Senators from Union County, Sandra Cunningham and Brian Stack, and Weinberg.

Dick Codey will stay on as Senate PresidentSouth Jersey Democratic leader George Norcross will support Richard Codey for re-election as State Senate President, according to several sources close to Norcross and Codey. There is also considerable speculation that South Jerseyan Stephen Sweeney will be the new Senate Majority Leader.

Legislators with more than $200,000 Cash-On-Hand

Richard Codey $894,561
Paul Sarlo $569,597
Bob Smith $488,709
Steve Sweeney $452,702
Shirley Turner $444,225
Joe Roberts $404,805
John Girgenti $275,171
Louis Greenwald $260,148
Joe Kyrillos $258,889
Joe Egan $257,951
Nicholas Asselta $255,256
Gerlad Cardinale $242,245
Steve Oroho $213,667

Source: New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission

State Sen. Stephen Sweeney will endorse John Edwards for the Democratic presidential nomination. Sweeney, the most powerful political figure in Southwestern New Jersey, heads a key ironworkers union and is the Senate Labor Committee Chairman. He is also the Gloucester County Freeholder Director.

SWEENEY/TURNER BILL WOULD REQUIRE SPEEDY VEHICLE REGISTRATION BY NEW RESIDENTS

TRENTON - Legislation sponsored by Senators Stephen M. Sweeney and Shirley K. Turner that would require new residents to register their vehicles with the Motor Vehicles Commission (MVC) within 60 days of becoming a New Jersey resident was approved by the Senate today by a vote of 39-0

"We need to crack down on New Jersey residents driving cars registered in other states," said Senator Sweeney, D-Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem. "Out of state, out of date license plate make it incredibly difficult for the police to track hit and run suspects and in turn make our streets less safe."

SWEENEY/TURNER BILL WOULD REQUIRE SPEEDY VEHICLE REGISTRATION BY NEW RESIDENTS

TRENTON - Legislation sponsored by Senators Stephen M. Sweeney and Shirley K. Turner that would require new residents to register their vehicles with the Motor Vehicles Commission (MVC) within 60 days of becoming a New Jersey resident was approved by the Senate Transportation Committee.

"We need to crack down on New Jersey residents driving cars registered in other states," said Senator Sweeney, D-Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem. "Out of state, out of date license plates make it incredibly difficult for the police to track hit and run suspects and in turn make our streets less safe."

There is a plausible, though unlikely, scenario that has as much as a turnover of as much as half of the New Jersey State Senate after the 2007 general election.

District 1: Republican Senator Nicholas Asselta could lose to Democratic Assemblyman Jefferson Van Drew.

District 2: Democrats are pledging a competitive Senate race against GOP incumbent Bill Gormley -- possible candidates include Assemblyman (and former Atlantic City Mayor) James Whelan, Republican-turned-Democratic former Assemblyman Paul D'Amato, and Sheriff Edward McGhettigan. Gormley is also a possible candidate for voluntary retirement.

District 3: Democrat Stephen Sweeney appears to be strong at home, but the possibility that some key public employee labor unions could back a primary or general election challenger keeps Sweeney off the safe list for now.

District 4: There continues to be speculation that freshman Democratic Senator Fred Madden won't seek re-election, and that some unions are talking to former GOP Senator (now Administrative Law Judge) George Geist about running again.

District 5: Allegations that Democratic Senator Wayne Bryant had a no-show job at UMDNJ to lobby himself increases the possibility that this safe Democratic district will get a new nominee.

District 8: Similar allegations against 75-year-old Republican Senator Martha Bark has many insiders assuming she will not run again.

District 11: Republican Senator Joseph Palaia has already announced that he won't seek re-election.

District 12: Freshman Ellen Karcher, who beat embattled Senate Co-President John Bennett in a GOP-leaning district, could be the most vulnerbale member of the Senate Democratic Caucus.

District 14: Republican Peter Inverso is a possible retiree.

District 16: Republican Walter Kavanaugh, in poor health over the last few years, is a possible retiree.

District 17: Some Democrats say that Senator Robert Smith, a longtime ally of convicted ex-Senate President John Lynch, could have a problem if reform Democrats can get their act together.

District 21: Several independent polls show Republican Thomas Kean, Jr. ahead in the race for the U.S. Senate.

District 24: Republican Robert Littell, in poor health over the last few years, is a possible retiree. He could also lose a primary to Assemblyman Guy Gregg.

District 26: Republican Senator Robert Martin said last year that he won't run again.

District 28: Democratic Senator Ronald Rice seems unlikely to keep party support in a bid for an eight term; he won just 25% of the vote in his race for Mayor of Newark against Cory Booker earlier this year.

District 29: Sharpe James, who dropped his bid for re-election as Mayor of Newark, could fight to keep his Senate seat -- or again, choose to leave quietly.

District 31: Senator Joseph Doria was forced into a runoff campaign to win a third term as Mayor of Bayonne and some Democrats think he might get pushed out.

District 33: The conventional wisdom is that Senate Majority Leader (and Hudson County Democratic Chairman) Bernard Kenny is the underdog in a primary with Assemblyman/Union City Mayor Brian Stack, who has all-but-announced his intention to run.

District 35: John Girgenti is probably in good shape, but he has a Peter Rodino problem: a white Senator in a district where minorities are the majority of voters.

District 36: Democratic Senator Paul Sarlo will be hard to beat, but he's not at all safe if the Republicans can recruit a quality challenger -- like former Assembly Majority Leader Paul DiGaetano, Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan, or Nutley Mayor Joanne Cocchiola.

District 37: Democratic Senator Loretta Weinberg is facing a primary challenge from former Assemblyman Ken Zisa.

District 40: Again, much specualtion that Republican Senator Henry McNamara will retire.