December 16, 2008 - 11:14am
Inside Edge

O'Toole could be Lance's replacement on Appropriations panel

State Sen. Kevin O'Toole, the Essex County GOP Chairman, could be the next ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

When Leonard Lance resigns his State Senate seat sometime over the next three weeks to take his seat in Congress, Senate Minority Leader Thomas Kean, Jr. will need to designate a new ranking Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Republicans close to Kean suggest that he will pick Kevin O’Toole to succeed Lance. 

The other Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee are: Anthony Bucco, who served as Majority Leader in 2002 and 2003; and Steven Oroho and Philip Haines, who are both completing their first year in the Legislature.

Kean will also need to pick one more Republican Senator to take Lance’s seat on the panel.

 

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.

Comments

Putting too many eggs in one basket.


O'Toole:

Essex County GOP Chair and Chair of County Chairmen, also.

And, we wonder why we don't have pool of candidates.

12/16/08 10:42 am

Overrated.


What districts are these fools targeting in 08?

O'Toole is the textbook definition of overrated. If you need $300K to defeat Todd Caliguire in a primary, something is wrong.

Vote Column "A"- All the way!

12/16/08 1:24 pm

ending Caliguire's career? Priceless


come on. This is Bergen/Passaic/Essex we are talking about. If you are going to take someone out, do the job right. $300,000 was to bury Caliguire not simply defeat him - That could have been done for free.   Underestimate O'Toole at your own peril.

12/16/08 3:31 pm

Please.


Democrats get a hold of the map in re-districting and O'Toole is back to square one in Cedar Grove.

Can you spell lightweight?

12/16/08 6:50 pm

OTOOLE ending careers


O'TOOLE DID A GREAT JOB ENDING THE CAREER OF THE EMPTY SUIT CALIGUIRE,.. NOW LET'S HOPE HE REPEATS HISTORY IN DISTRICT 40 AND ENDS RUMANA'S CAREER... ANOTHER EMPTY SUIT. 

O'toole is a man on the move...very ambitious...very dangerous. He doesn't need baggage like lightweight Rumana around....

 

 

 

12/16/08 11:29 pm

Don't see O'toole going


further. He is very content on what he has and would rather stay a big fish in a little pond - Power broker.

12/17/08 1:39 pm

Power broker?


He lacks the fundraising ability to put the GOP in the majority.

The guy is a joke politically in a statewide party that's pathetic.

Vote Column "A" - All the way!

12/17/08 3:39 pm

O'Toole puts out


smart, thoughtful press statements. He also sounds more up to the minute than that Wilson guy about what the Republicans ought to be doing in the state. First orderof business for christie should be getting a team in place, led by O'Toole to head his political kitchen cabinet.

12/18/08 3:17 pm

Wrong about O'Toole


Kevin is an excellent fundraiser and one of the few people in the GOP "Establishment" who actually wants to win, which is what separates him from DeCroce, Wright, Wilson, Rumana and the rest of the "happier in the minority" crowd.

Redistricting will definitely change the O'Toole district, but not in a negative way. In fact, the one who will have the problem is going to be Dick Codey, who is going to have to take on O'Toole in a West Essex/Eastern Morris District. Either that or he'll be running in a black majority seat. Population trends require the minority seats in Essex to expand outwards, and that means one white Democrat has to go. And who are the other white Democratic Senators in that region?

That's why it's up or out for Codey, and why the Senate President is so frustrated at the Corzine EO on campaign finance, which is designed solely to stop any source of Codey money for a primary against the embattled incumbent Governor.

Kevin O'Toole plays to win and other than Steve Lonegan, there aren't a lot of Republicans left in this state who feel that way.

12/19/08 10:20 am