Stuart Rabner

Democratic insiders speculate that the two leading candidates for Attorney General are the two lawyers who might be closest to Governor Jon Corzine these days: his Chief Counsel, Stuart Rabner; and First Assistant Attorney General Anne Milgram, who served as Corzine's Counsel in the United States Senate. Both are former federal prosecutors who have no real ties to the state's political establishment.

The conventional wisdom among Trenton insiders is that Rabner was headed for the Supreme Court -- especially if Corzine elevates James Zazzali to Chief Justice when Deborah Poritz retires this year. Zazzali, at age 69, would get one year as Chief before he reaches the mandatory retirement age, giving Corzine the ability to maintain the partisan balance of the court by appointing a Republican to fill Zazzali's old seat and then making Rabner Chief Justice in 2007. Rabner, who probably didn't enjoy the state budget crisis, could spend a year as Attorney General -- with Milgram waiting in the wings to replace him then.

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CORZINE NAMES RABNER CHIEF COUNSEL
Mendez and Howard tapped for communications, policy posts

TRENTON - Governor-elect Jon S. Corzine today announced that Stuart Rabner, head of the U.S. Attorney's Office criminal division, will join his administration as chief counsel. Corzine also selected Ivette Mendez to serve as communications director and Heather Howard as policy counsel. Corzine said Rabner typifies the tone he intends to set throughout his administration.