Where are they now?
By Wally EdgeOut of the public eye since Jim Florio lost re-election in 1993, Stephanie Bush-Baskette returned to a prominent role in New Jersey politics with her election last night as a Democratic National Committeewoman. She defeated Christine “Roz” Samuels, a Montclair Democratic official and former Newark Teachers’ Union leader.
Bush-Baskette was 34-years-old when she first won public office in 1987. She was elected to the State Assembly in the old Oranges district (Richard Codey was the State Senator) when the Essex County Democratic organization decided to drop five-term incumbent Mildred Barry Garvin. Held in fairly high regard as a legislator, Bush-Baskette was re-elected in 1989 and 1991 with little trouble in a heavily Democratic district.
When Melvin “Randy” Primas resigned as Commissioner of Community Affairs in 1992, Gov. Jim Florio picked Bush-Baskette for the post. Her resignation from the Assembly, and the 1992 retirement of veteran Assemblyman Harry McEnroe, paved the way for Nia Gill and LeRoy Jones to go to the Assembly.
After leaving public office, Bush, an attorney, pursued a Ph.D. in criminal justice, and is now the director of the Joseph C. Cornwall Center for Metropolitan Studies at Rutgers University, Newark. She is also Of Counsel to Florio Perrucci Steinhardt & Fader, a politically influential law firm.
Contributors
Wally Edge
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Jeff Michaels
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Richard LaRossa
With a convincing win in defeating an encumbent Governor, why were there no coattails? >
Alan Steinberg
Within 24 hours after the election of Chris Christie as Governor, the battle was joined between the Governor-elect and the New Jersey Education ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
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Carla Katz
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Joey Novick
OK, aside from the governor’s race, the House Health Care Bill (H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act). was the big news of ... >
Murray Sabrin
According to the latest SurveyUSA and Rutgers Eagleton polls, independent gubernatorial candidate Chris Daggett has the support of 19% and 20% of ... >
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Quote of the Day
"Please. I wouldn't have enough paper. So let’s not even bother writing one. This is now about governing. I won. The one thing I could never understand about people in politics was winners who are sore winners." -- Gov.-elect Christopher Christie, on putting together an enemis list.
“He’s a nice man with good intentions, but in the end he’ll be remembered for timidity. Being a business titan and issuing orders from the corner office is a lot different than having to cajole and persuade people in politics and having the toughness and fortitude to see your vision become reality.”-- Ross K. Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University, on Gov. Jon Corzine.
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