Important Names in NJ politics
John Adler (D)
State Senator John Adler is a five-term senator from the 6th legislative district. While being an ardent member of both the Joint Legislative Committee on Ethical Standards and the Enviormental Committee, he is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Ccommittee.
One of his many clames to fame is his determination to hold a state constitutional converntion on NJ's tax system. For this, he's recieved support from both parties, residents and endorcements from many newspapers.
Adler's sponsored a verity of legislation focusing on a myrad of areas. These areas include the enviorment, healthcare and ethics reform. He also authored legislation to ban smoking in all public buildings. A strong advocate for the enviorment, he founded the Smart Growth Caucus, which studies the long term impact of urban sprawl in the Garden State.
The Senator has sponsored vital legislation designed to address key environmental and health related issues, homeland security, ethics reform, reducing auto insurance rates and eliminating municipal school mandates; reducing corporate tax on small business, and strengthening penalties for tobacco sales to minors. He is also sponsoring legislation to ban smoking in all public buildings. As founder of the smart growth caucus, he advocates smart growth enhancements and is focusing attention on the long term impact of sprawl throughout the Garden State.
Steve Adubato
Dick Codey (D)
Dick Codey is the Acting Governor of New Jersey. He took office in the summer of 2004, after (now) Former Governor Jim McGreevey resigned due to a homosexual sex scandal, in which he appointed his gay lover to a position in his administration. As NJ does not currently have a lieutennant governor position, Codey (being the State Senate President) took office as governor.
During his only State of the State address in 2005, Codey pledged to raise the minimum wage, improve public school security, help pay off student loans of those working in mental health and social service agencies, expand health care for uninsured persons and to relax absentee ballot and voter registration guidelines.
Leonard T. Connors Jr (R)
Leonard Connors Jr. is the State Senator from New Jersey's 9th legislaive district. Connors' son, Chris Connors serves in the NJ State Assembly where he also represents the 9th district.
Senator Connors began serving in the NJ State Senate in 1982, where he currently serves on the Senate's Community and Urban affairs Committee, as well as on the State Government committee.
While remaining a state senator, Senator Connors has also served on the Ocean County Board of Freeholders and has been the Mayor of Surf City on Long Beach Island.
Jon Corzine (D)
Governor-Elect Jon Corzine was recently elected. He defeated Republican Doug Forrester with 53% of the vote. Corzine will now pick a replacement for his U.S. Senate seat, where he served since 2001.
In the Senate, Corzine supported health care for children and pregnant women, tighter gun control laws, Amtrack subsidies, outlawing racial profiling and the Darfur Accountability Act. He also voted against the Iraq War Resolution.
Raymond Durkin
William L. Gormley (R)
State Senator William Gormely is an eight term State Senator. He was first elected to public office as a member of the Atlantic County Board of Freeholders in 1975. Gormely was elected to the State Assembly in 1977, and the State Senate in a special election in 1982.
As chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Gormley investigated racial profiling. He's also a member of the Education Committee and sponsored the Educational Facilities School Construction Act, which appropriated $8.6 billion in construction funds for New Jersey's school districts.
Sharpe James
Tom Kean, Jr (R)
Senator Tom Kean, Jr. is a Republican State Senator from the 21st Legislative District. His father is former governor, Thomas Kean.
Senator Kean was elected to the senate in 2003. Before this, he was an assemblyman from 2001 until he was appointed to finish Rich Bagger's term in early 2003.In the senate, he has fought for ethics reform and to ban play to pay practices. He serves on the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and the Appropriations Committee and is the former vice-chair of the Assembly State Government Committee.
Recently, Kean announced his candidacy for Governor-elect Corzine's U.S. Senate Seat.
Bob Menendez (D)
Since 2006, Bob Menendez has served as New Jersey's junior U.S. Senator. He was appointed by Jon Corzine to fill the seat made vacant by Corzine's resignation from the Senate to serve as Governor of New Jersey. Menendez is one of only three Hispanics currently serving in the United States Senate. Before his appointment to the Senate, he had represented the state's 13th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1993-2006. He currently resides in Hoboken. Born to Cuban parents in New York City, Menendez attended Saint Peter's College. While he was at school, he was elected to the Union City Board of Education. Menendez was mayor of Union city from 1986-1992. He was a member of the Assembly from 1987 - 1991, and a member of the State Senate from 1991- 1993, where he was elected to the House. |
George Norcross (D)
George Norcross III is arguably the most influential Democratic party boss in South New Jersey. He also is the chief executive of Commerce National Insurance.
He was involved in a physical confrontation with John Bennett, the former Acting Governor, and tried to intimidate him into convincing his colleagues to vote for a tax increase and stadium construction bill in committee.
He was recently the subject of an investigation by the Courier Post paper from Cherry Hill, NJ, in which audio tapes are shown of Norcross claiming able to take down former governor McGreevy and governor-elect Corzine.
Donald Payne
Joe Roberts (D)
Joe Roberts is the current Assembly Majority Leader and has been elected the next Speaker. He has previously served as a director for the Camden NJ United Way and a board president for Big Brothers-Big Sisters of Camden County.
He began his record in public service as a member of the Bellmawr Board of Education, and later as a councilman. Roberts was a Camden County Freeholder for seven years. In 1987, he ran in a special election to fill the vacant seat left by Francis Gorman. Since then, he has been reelected nine times.
Roberts has been a strong advocate of campaign finance and ethics laws. He has pushed legislation aimed at curbing medical malpractice costs and fair access to healthcare. He cosponsored legislation that made NJ the 5th state to recognize domestic partnerships. Roberts has also authored legislation that would revitalize distressed urban areas in the state. He has also advocated for property tax reform.