Women in New Jersey's Legislature (w/Poll)

by: Jeff Gardner

Wed Sep 19, 2007 at 03:36:10 PM EDT

What a difference a day week year can make. Turns out, my predictions last week kinda sorta came true, with the recent unpleasantness producing two brand new Assemblywomen, Elease Evans (LD-35) and Mila Jasey (LD-27), and a very likely winner this fall added to the 38th District ballot, Connie Wagner.

Add them to primary winners earlier this year - likely future Senators Dana Redd (LD-5), Teresa Ruiz (LD-29), and Sandra Cunningham (LD-31); and likely future Assemblywomen Cleopatra Tucker (LD-28), Grace Spencer (LD-29) and Caridad Rodriguez (LD-33), and suddenly, the Legislature is starting to feel a little more estrogenated. Without a single upset in November, we're already looking at a record 10 women in the Senate (8 of them Democrats), and a record 21 women in the Assembly (16 of them Democrats).

That's right - there will be more Democratic women in the legislature next year than there are women total there now. Historic, yes. But, still nowhere near where we ought to be.

Of course, there's still more story to tell, because it wouldn't be election season if there weren't a cool upset or two brewing. With a record number of women challenging Republicans all over the state, how many more women do you think can land in the legislature next year?

*Take the poll* on the flip (and share the reasons for your votes in the comments):

UPDATE: Ferriero Seeks to Undercut Pay-to-Play Laws

by: Juan Melli

Sun Sep 09, 2007 at 12:16:07 AM EDT

Bergen County boss Joe Ferriero, who runs the county by routinely trading jobs for loyalty and contracts for campaign contributions, wants BCDO lawyer Dennis Oury to sue the state to strike down pay-to-play laws threatening his patronage mill.

But why now? Why time this to coincide with election season? He almost pulled a similar stunt last year, but was talked out of it. Some think he's pressing the issue at this politically awkward time to pressure Codey and Roberts to pony up their leadership PAC money.

Since 37th district legislators Loretta Weinberg, Valerie Huttle and Gordon Johnson objected to his decision, he decided to call a meeting of the BCDO executive committee for this Monday at 5pm to take a vote on the issue. Presumably, he wouldn't have called the meeting if he didn't have the votes. Bergen County rank and file Democrats are expected to stage a protest outside the meeting to express their disapproval of this latest power grab.

Those eligible to vote include elected officials in Bergen County. The legislators in the 37th district have already made their views known, but how will Senators Paul Sarlo and Joe Coniglio and Assemblypersons Robert Gordon and Joan Voss vote?

There are several other candidates from Bergen County who could find themselves in a similar position if they win in November, and we deserve to know how they would vote: Joseph Ariyan, Esther Fletcher, Carl Manna, Zonie LeSane and Lisa Sciancalepore. Do they agree with Joe Ferriero that the pay-to-play laws should be struck down? I'll post updates here as we learn where they stand.