It's possible, but don't expect it to happen
By Wally Edge
If Governor Jon Corzine leaves office early to take a job in Barack Obama's new administration, his most likely successor is Richard Codey. As Senate President, Codey is next in the gubernatorial line of succession -- as he was for 84 hours in 2001 when Donald DiFrancesco left office, and for fourteen months in 2004 and 2005 following James E. McGreevey's resignation.
But if Codey's political foes were able to join together in a special election coup d'état, they could remove him from the Senate Presidency, installing a new person to succeed to the governorship. That means a coalition between the seventeen Republican Senators and any block of four Democrats (read: South Jersey) could deny Codey a third term as Governor.
The last time the Legislature cut a deal like this was after the 1971 general election, when Democrats won control of the State Assembly, but Republicans held the speakership. Four Democrats from Hudson and Union counties joined with Republicans to elect Thomas Kean, then the Assembly Majority Leader, as Speaker.
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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