February 22, 2009 - 11:11am

Inside Edge

For the first time, Warren County has two Assemblymen

By Wally Edge

When John DiMaio takes his seat in the State Assembly sometime over the next few weeks, it will become the first time in history that two Warren County residents will be serving together in the lower house. DiMaio, at least until January 2010, will serve with his onetime friend and political ally, four-term Assemblyman Michael Doherty.

The last time Warren had two legislators was in 1990, when eleven-term State Senator Wayne Dumont resigned for health reasons. At the time, the district included parts of Warren and Sussex counties. The Warren County legislator was Chuck Haytaian, then the Assembly Minority Leader. Twelve-term Assemblyman Robert Littell moved up to the Senate, and he was replaced by another Sussex County Republican, Scott Garrett.

Legislative redistricting in 1991 put Warren in a district with most Hunterdon County, and combined Sussex with parts of Morris and Hunterdon counties. Haytaian was now in a district represented by William Schluter in the Senate and Leonard Lance in the Assembly. Haytaian retired in 1995, after serving four years as Assembly Speaker and narrowly losing a race for U.S. Senator. His replacement was another Connie Myers, who came from Hunterdon. Warren County was without a legislator until Lance moved up to the Senate in 2001 and Doherty won his Assembly seat.

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

Related topics: Robert Littell, Wayne Dumont, Chuck Haytaian, Michael Doherty, John DiMaio, Leonard Lane, Connie Myers

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