Democrats Now Control N.J. Legislature

Yahoo ^ | 11/5/03 | JOHN P. McALPIN

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

TRENTON, N.J. - After two years of sharing power with Republicans in the state Senate, Democrats won control of the Legislature on Tuesday, ending talk that Gov. James E. McGreevey's unpopularity would sink the party.

Republicans tried to turn Tuesday's elections into a referendum on McGreevey's turbulent two years in office. Instead the GOP lost its leader in the Legislature to a political newcomer while Democrats won control of the Senate and widened their slim margin in the Assembly.

Democrats broke a five-decade tradition where the governor's party has lost seats in the midterm elections.

"It speaks volumes about this misplaced strategy of attacking the governor personally," McGreevey spokesman Micah Rasmussen said.

Republican Senate President John O. Bennett, the subject of a series of newspaper articles questioning his ethics, conceded his race to Democrat Ellen Karcher, ending his two decades in the Senate.

Both parties were seeking to end the unprecedented 20-20 split in the Senate and gain control of the 80-member state Assembly. After a series of defections from the Democratic Party, the Assembly consists of 41 Democrats, 38 Republicans and one Green Party member.

With one Senate race undecided, Democrats led 21 to 18 in the Senate and 47 to 33 in the Assembly.

In recent polls, a record 61 percent of voters said they disapprove of McGreevey's performance. But the Democratic victories could boost his chances for re-election in 2005.

[Huck]

Well, I bought my house in Sussex County. I love it there. I go fishing in Warren County almost every weekend. Our neighbors are all friendly nice people. I take it personally.

The GOP in NJ is a shambles. And the demographics are hard to overcome. But this is my home. I was born here. It is a nice state with a lot of good things about it. I refuse to trash it. Hell, people trash California, and I understand the frustration, but that is a beautiful, wonderful place. We have to try to make inroads. Hell, California once elected Ronald Reagan.

[sasafras]

RINOs better wake up and realize who are their constituents - its not dems or libs - if conservatives walk away you are going to lose.

[Moby Grape]

N.J. will soon join California on the brink of default.

[DoctorMichael]

The GOP is REALLY annoying with regards to stuff like this.

They keep shooting THEMSELVES in the foot trying to be touchy-feeley and, at a national level, refuse to try and break the logjam in the Senate of Bush's Judicial nominees by calling the Dumbos bluff and keeping the Senate open 24/7.............I guess these clowns need their beauty sleep.

.......and then I receive solicitation after solicitation after solicitation after solicitation from the GOP for $100 to $200 a pop to help them in their election strategies. {/Dissappointment}

[laconic]

Yep, its unfortunate that people see the turnpike (admittedly awful in north Jersey and Newark) and ignore the rest of the state, which has many fine places and wonderful people. They also forget that this is a state that voted twice for Ronald Reagan by overwhelming margins and once for GW Bush, just 15 years ago. Its also a state that had 3-1 Rep majorities in both houses of the legislature in the early 1990s after the Florio tax debacle. I recognize that part of the problem is the New York transplants to Central Jersey who bring liberal politics with them; I don't know how you change their views. But a large part of the problem is that the Reps who controlled the legislature really tried to out-dim the Dems, and largely succeeded.

[ampat]

They got what they deserve.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

"New Jersey and You.

Perfect together."

[chimera]

Hey, I hear you. I am a NJ ex-patriot from the once-Republican central Jersey suburbs, and it breaks my heart to see what has happened to my home state. I have lost my NJ connections since my Mom passed away and we sold her place down the shore. Apart from the urban jungles, it's a nice place and has some good people.

Ever thought about a 51st state movement? They had one of those going for awhile in South Jersey, until the demographics (immigration) changed it. The State of West New Jersey might have some appeal, especially if you can drop the excess baggage of Newark and Elizabeth and Camden and Trenton.

[jwalsh07]

Huck, I doon't know if I ever mentioned it but we lived in Denville for a bit back in the early 80's. Nice country out that way all the way to the Gap.

[I still care]

I'm reminded of a quote I saw on DU.

"This stupid south that keeps voting for the repugs! I'd leave if it wasn't so nice here." (paraphrased)LOL

Uhhh... it's nice because it's conservative.

I don't understand why she or he doesn't go live in Newark or Washington DC or some such lovely Democratic area.

Wherever the Democrats come into power, first they destroy the economy, then that take away your liberties, and then they ruin the area. And after they have made a total mess, then all the ivory tower liberals that live there flee to red zone areas and vote to raise YOUR taxes.

Remember the lovely Democratic experiment of CA.

[agrace]

Tip top part of Sussex huh? My husband and I are both from PA (he's from the mountains of northwestern PA and I'm from the farmland of central PA) and we are thinking of moving to the Vernon area. We live in Somerset County now, and with the housing market the way it is now and our chances of returning to PA pretty slim, we are exploring moving as far out as we can to get the biggest bang for our housing buck, plus we want to get a little more rural for the kids. A co-worker of his lives in Vernon and loves it, even the bears that cruise through his back yard just about every day. :)

My husband works in Bergen County so the commute would be about the same as now. We're thinking about it but aren't sure. You probably think it's a no-brainer. :)

[Destructor]

The state of New Jersey will come to rue the day!

[Renegade]

Livimg here I've always said " I am surrounded by idiots " Going to move to Florida where my conservative vote will count !!

[Huck]

I didn;t know that. Denville's a nice suburb. It's positively urban compared to Wantage Twp., where I live. But I lived in Rockaway, right next to Denville, for a few years.

[Princess G]

I beg your pardon...I live in the New Jersey Shore area..I take umbrage in your statement that NJ and the Demorats deserve one another!! I am a CONSERVATIVE along with many others and despise the fact that they won.

[Lancey Howard]

Voters may dislike McGreedy but they hate RINOs even more.

You got it exactly right.
New Jersey is so far down the liberal toilet it's hopeless. Conservatives have almost NOBODY to vote for in New Jersey and so they stay home. The place is, for all intents and purposes, a one-party state, owned and operated by the education mafia.

Of course, the blame ultimately falls on the NJ voters who put these scumbags in office, again and again.

By the way, you would have a heart attack if you saw what the property taxes are in New Jersey. For example, a 5-year-old, 4 bedroom colonial on half-an-acre in Bucks County, Pennsylvania ($450,000 sale price) has an annual property tax bill in the $5,000 range. That same house right across the river in Mercer County has an annual property tax bill of at least $12,000. The property taxes in NJ stagger the mind, but the people there just roll over and take it in the rear and say, "thank you".

[Huck]

No, definitely don't move here! It's cold, crowded, and everyone's cross-eyed!

Kidding, of course. I live in Wantage Twp. (07461) about 7 miles from High Point. I freaking love it. It's nice up here. Totally different atmosphere from even Morris County. Vernon is nice, too. Affordable. Good place for kids.

[Lancey Howard]

My mother was born and raised in Murray Hill. That near you?