The curse of Paul Troast
By Wally EdgeBiotech millionaire John Crowley is still mulling a bid for the Republican nomination for Governor. If he wins, he'd be the first Governor with no previous public sector experience since Woodrow Wilson moved from college president to Governor in 1910. But in U.S. Senate races, the lack of political experience is more prevalent: New Jersey sent first-time candidates to the Senate in 1942, 1978, 1982 and 2000.
And if you're an extreme political junkie: if Leonard Lance wins a House seat tomorrow, he'll join a fairly elite group -- New Jersey Congressmen who have served in both the State Senate and General Assembly. The last ones were Bob Menendez in 1992, Jim Saxton in 1984, Harold Hollenbeck in 1976, Joseph Maraziti in 1972, and Elijah Hutchinson in 1914.
The current New Jersey House delegation has two who went from the State Senate to Congress (Saxton and Frank Pallone, who never served in the Assembly), five who went from the Assembly, and six who never served in the Legislature.
One more: if pigs begin to fly and Dick Zimmer wins his race for U.S. Senate, he'll become just the second elected Senator in state history to have served as an Assemblyman, State Senator, Congressman and U.S. Senator. The first was Menendez.
Contributors
Wally Edge
South Jersey Democrats are touting Cinnaminson native Anthony Mazzarelli, the head of the emergency medicine department at Cooper University ... >
Bob Torricelli
Everybody needs to start a new job with a list of priorities and Chris Christie is no exception. There might be a thousand things that need to get ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
Political discourse in America contains much in the way of intellect or intellectual honesty. One considers the Federalist Papers with wistful awe: ... >
Jeff Michaels
The NJ gubernatorial election result demonstrates that Governor-elect Chris Christie resurrected the center-right voter coalition of Republicans, ... >
Richard LaRossa
With a convincing win in defeating an encumbent Governor, why were there no coattails? >
Alan Steinberg
As in any transition, speculation is rampant as to whom Governor-elect Chris Christie will appoint as Chief of Staff, State Treasurer, and Attorney ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
Now that the dust has finally settled after the grueling campaign for governor, there are a number of lessons that we can draw from this ... >
Carla Katz
When he was growing up, Chris Christie's folks must have taught him that when he went to a new playground, he should pick a fight with the ... >
Joey Novick
There has been a lot of talk about putting the issue of marriage equality on the ballot in New Jersey. This is something that Assemblywoman ... >
Murray Sabrin
New Jersey voters repudiated Governor Jon Corzine's policies of the past four years on November 3rd. Republican Chris Christie and Independent ... >
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"An Irish wake." -- New Jersey Sierra Club director Jeff Tittell, on Senate President Richard Codey's party in Atlantic City.
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