More hats in the Speaker ring

by: Jason Springer

Tue Sep 08, 2009 at 01:00:00 PM EDT

With the news last week that Speaker Roberts would not seek another term in office, the jockeying has already begun for who would be in the running to replace him leading the Assembly should the Democrats retain control.

Assemblyman Joe Cryan, said he's focused on his current job in November as State party Chairman electing Democrats:

"I've got a job that I'm going to focus on as chairman of the party, working to get Democrats elected," he said. "I'm as accountable as anyone for making sure we retain the Assembly majority, so I'm just going to keep my focus there and see where things go."

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman said she intends to seek the position:

"Having had the opportunity to serve the caucus in a leadership position in legislature, I believe ascending to the speaker's position is a natural extension based on the work I've already been doing," Watson Coleman told PolitickerNJ.com in a conference call.

Mercer County Chairman Rich Mcclellan issued a statement in support and Rev. Soaries threatened to back away from Governor Corzine's re-election campaign if he did not announce his support for her efforts. That threat becomes more interesting if this news from Wally Edge is true:

Look for a fourth candidate in the race for Assembly Speaker: Sheila Oliver (D-East Orange) has spent the last two days testing the waters to seek the post. Oliver is the Assistant Essex County Administrator, which means strong ties to County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo and Newark Democratic leader Stephen Adubato. Essex County has the state's largest Assembly delegation - nine votes.

But Oliver could really only be Speaker if Dick Codey were not Senate President, a separate shoe that would still need to drop in the other house. Assemblyman Wisniewski has also expressed his interest, but also reminded people that there were other elections first:

"I am interested in making the case to my colleagues, however there's a little detail called a general election we have to get though first," Wisniewski added. "It's all interesting and noteworthy, but let's win the election then talk about leadership. Is the question, 'Am I interested?' Yes, of course, I am interested."

That's right, let's win the election and we can talk about who leads next. While some say within the party for leadership could distract from the effort to re-election Corzine, Senator Lesniak thinks it could work to his advantage:

"What he can do - and what he better do - is keep out of it, and he's smart enough to do that," said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, a party power broker who holds considerable sway in the leadership disputes. "It could actually work on the governor's behalf, if it's perceived that those who do the best in terms of vote production for Corzine will get him on their side."

That scenario only works if Corzine wins re-election. And that election comes before any other party jockeying. Take the poll and tell us who you think will be the next Speaker of the Assembly and how you think it factors into the Governor's race.

Jason Springer :: More hats in the Speaker ring

Poll

Who will be the next Assembly Speaker?

Joe Cryan
Bonnie Watson Coleman
John Wisniewski
Sheila Oliver
Alex DeCroce because the R's will take Control
Someone else

Results

Tags: speaker, Joe Roberts, Joe Cryan, Joe Kyrillos, John Wisniewski, Bonnie Watson Coleman, shelia oliver, (All Tags)

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More hats in the Speaker ring | 3 comments

i hope all this jockeying... (0.00 / 0)

...ain't so distracting that it's blunting field opps effort for e day.

But that' NJ for you: always something better (?) cookin in the background.

activist for hire.

by: Jay Lassiter @ Tue Sep 08, 2009 at 17:08:05 PM UTC

watson-coleman (0.00 / 0)

i could go for a female Speaker. I haven't checked, but I think she would be the first female Speaker in NJ. She's served her time as state party chair and assembly majority leader. she has the personality and the gravitas. Her career may, however, fall victim to the "regional balance"

by: southernbluedog @ Tue Sep 08, 2009 at 21:02:55 PM UTC