U.S. Marshal

Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez wants to succeed Jim Plousis as U.S. Marshal

Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez is quietly seeking support to become New Jersey’s next U.S. Marshal, but sources with knowledge of the selection process say the career law enforcement official is not on the short list of candidates at this time.  The leading candidates are former Mercer County Sheriff Samuel Plumeri and Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire – both are very much announced candidates and are actively lobbying for the job -- with Bergen County Freeholder Tomas Padilla looming large as a potential contender.

Perez, a former State Police captain and public school teacher, served as Jersey City’s Deputy Police Director before defeating four-term Sheriff Joseph Cassidy in the 2007 Democratic primary.

Add another name to the list of possible candidates for U.S. Marshal: Tomas Padilla, the Bergen County Chairman.  Sources with direct knowledge of the appointment process suggest that Padilla, a Latino and a career law enforcement official - he's a Hackensack police captain - could quickly emerge as a serious contender for the federal post if he tells decision makers he's interested.   Padilla , a Freeholder since 2002, would become the first Latino to serve as New Jersey's U.S. Marshal.

If Padilla became U.S. Marshal, the Bergen County Democratic Committee would need to hold a special election convention to replace him on the Board of Freeholders.  In November 2009, there would be a special election to fill the remaining fourteen months on Padilla's term - provided that the vacancy occurs before early September.)  This would put three of the seven Democratic seats on the Freeholder Board up for grabs this fall.

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, with Freeholder David L. Ganz, is a possible candidate for U.S. Marshal in the Obama administration

Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire is actively campaigning to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal when Barack Obama takes office as President next month.  McGuire, a two-term Sheriff and former policeman, has been using his political contacts to seek support from the two voters who will ultimately decide who Obama picks: U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.  McGuire's resume was submitted to the transition office last week.

Sources say that Gov. Jon Corzine, who does not have a vote in this election, is actively pushing Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff who now heads the police force of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

Getty Images Photo

Port Authority Police Superintendent Samuel Plumeri has won key support to become New Jersey's next U.S. Marshal

Samuel Plumeri, a former Mercer County Sheriff and Democratic County Chairman, is emerging as a leading candidate for U.S. Marshal, according to Democratic sources.  The current Marshal, James Plousis, a Republican and former Cape May County Sheriff, is expected to resign by Janaury 20, 2009, so that Barack Obama can nominate his own candidate, with the advise and consent of New Jersey's two U.S. Senators.  Sources say that Plumeri has the backing of Gov. Jon Corzine, and U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg, though uncommitted, reportedly has no problems with Plumeri.  The state's other U.S. Senator, Robert Menendez, has not yet indicated a choice.

The 61-year-old Plumeri has served as Director of Public Safety and Superintendent of Police for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.  He joined the Port Authority as New Jersey Director of Government and Community Affairs in 2002 after narrowly losing a bid for State Senator to GOP incumbent Peter Inverso in 2001. 

U.S. Marshal James Plousis, a Republican, is expected to lose his job when Barack Obama becomes President

One campaign certain to get underway soon is the race for U.S. Marshal, a post that will flip from Republican to Democrat next year.  James Plousis, a former Cape May County Sheriff who was named U.S. Marshal by George W. Bush in 2002, is expected to follow tradition and offer his resignation effective with the start of Barack Obama's presidency on January 20, 2009.  Plousis' predecessor was Glen Cunningham, who was a former Jersey City Police Officer and City Councilman before Bill Clinton named him in 1996.  New Jersey's two United States Senators, Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez, will effectively pick the next federal marshal.

One Democratic leader close to the senior U.S. Senator suggests that Lautenberg's choice could be Mitchell Sklar, his former Legislative Assistant who is now the Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of Chiefs of Police.  Lautenberg is also backing Paul Fishman, a former Justice Department official in the Clinton administration, for U.S. Attorney.  Menendez has not reportedly not yet focused on this particular position.

Cunningam was the only African American to serve as New Jersey's U.S. Marshal.  All his predecessors where white men.

While the shot list has not yet developed, expect several names to come off quickly: Democratic insiders say it won't be Atantic County Sheriff James McGettigan, who lost his bid for re-election to a sixth term last week and needs a job.  And it is not likely to be Bergen County Sheriff Leo McGuire, whose ties to indicted Democratic County Chairman Joseph Ferriero won't help his chances (and besides, he wants to run for County Executive in 2010 when Democrats dump Dennis McNerney).