Steve Rothman

“Maybe Mr. Rothman has lost Speaker Pelosi’s contact information. Just in case I am going to give it to him again and post it on the internet,”

U.S. Representative Steve Rothman (D-Fair Lawn) invites his constituents to attend his August 2008 Listening Sessions.

Obama State Director Tricia Mueller: Politicker photo

HAMILTON - Politics and union organizing weld into one for Tricia Mueller, the new state director for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign.

Granddaughter of a Local 19 sheet metal worker or "tin knocker" as they're called in building and trades, Mueller first started working campaigns for her father, a telephone installer who served as the youngest mayor of Oaklyn, New Jersey.

"I could read a ward map from the time I was very small," said the 34-year old Camden native and chief political operative for the 17,000-strong New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters, as she sat in a Hamilton coffee shop on Thursday, three days into her tenure as Obama's state director.

"I come from the field," she told PolitickerNJ.com. "I believe voter contact, voter mobilization, and voter education represent civic duty at its finest."

The Obama campaign announced today that Tricia Mueller, the political director for the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters, will serve as state Director of Obama’s New Jersey campaign. Bob Decheine, the Chief of Staff to Rep. Steve Rothman, will serve as a senior advisor to the campaign. 

South Jersey Democrats were unable to send their longtime Congressman to the United States Senate, but they have taken two key statewide party posts this month.  Tricia Mueller, a top political operative for the Carpenters Union, will run Barack Obama’s New Jersey presidential campaign, and Mike Muller, who works for Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts as the head of the Assembly Democratic campaign committee, has been tapped to run the coordinated campaign.

Kimberly Allen, communications director for U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9), is relocating to Richmond, VA.. with her husband, who is beginning graduate studies.

She said she would continue to work for the congressman on a variety of projects, however, starting on July 28, Jean Roehrenbeck would be the day-to-day press contact.

"On a personal note, it has been a privilege to serve Congressman Rothman and to get to know the New Jersey press corps," said Allen. "I will truly miss working with you on a daily basis."

This election season, there are hotly contested races in the 3rd and 7th Congressional Districts. Then, one tier down, there are a couple of races in which challengers have some inkling of hope against a well-entrenched incumbent and may count on a bit of national party support.

And then there are the challengers to whom national parties don’t even bother paying lip service, like Tom Wyka in the 11th District, Vince Micco in the 9th District and Robert McLeod in the 6th District, among others.

Micco: The Record's "Shortchanged Again" Should be Catalyst for Change in Ninth District

Gov. Jon Corzine today in Newark: Politicker photo

NEWARK - It’s less than four months until Election Day and the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il) still does not have a New Jersey state director.

"It’s not a problem," Gov. Jon Corzine insisted today in the Ironbound, a sentiment echoed by Obama backers who point out that there are nine paid staffers operating in New Jersey right now, and that fewer than six states are equipped with directors at this point.

"I’ve been in contact with the Obama campaign," the governor told PolitickerNJ.com. "They can make up their minds and come to their decision. Until (last) Friday they hadn’t talked to the people (candidates)."

The favorites for the New Jersey job remain Bob Decheine, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-9); and Patricia A. Mueller, chief of staff for the New Jersey Regional Council of Carpenters, whose interfacing entrenchments unavoidably suggest that old political divide between north and south Jersey.

Newark Mayor Cory Booker, backing up Senate President Richard Codey's endorsement of Obama.

Obama Campaign State Director Mark Alexander knew it would be hard to pry Sen. Hillary Clinton’s supporters loose in New Jersey after her victory in New Hampshire.

This was a fight now, and Clinton’s people were solid.

"We have an opportunity here in Hudson - Hudson, Hispanics, Hillary and history," Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) cried to a North Bergen audience of mostly Latinos with Clinton on stage.

The response was near to deafening with Clinton standing on stage with Menendez, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-13) and state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex).

But that didn’t mean there weren’t other opportunities for Obama; in fact, one big opportunity, in the form of Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex), who was at the moment glumly serving as state director for the foundering campaign of John Edwards.

Alexander knew Codey. He also knew Codey was close to former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ), who had come onto the Obama campaign as an advisor.