NYTimes 9/16: Corzine Ally Loses Bid to Fill State Senate Seat

Today's New York Times offers another take on Thursday evening's balloting by Bergen County Democratic Committee members to replace Byron Baer's vacated Senate seat. See the article in today's New York Times or click on http://www.NYTimes.com/2005/09/16/nyregion/metrocampaigns/16corzine.html for the article at the newspaper's web site.

After Democratic Squabble, Corzine Ally Loses Bid to Fill State Senate Seat By RICHARD LEZIN JONES Published: September 16, 2005

An ally of United States Senator Jon S. Corzine, the Democratic nominee for New Jersey governor, failed in her bid to fill a vacant State Senate seat last night after a contentious week of infighting among state party officials.

The candidacy of Assemblywoman Loretta Weinberg, who was backed by Mr. Corzine, had pitted the senator against one of his party's most influential political bosses, Joseph A. Ferriero, chairman of the Bergen County Democratic Committee. Mr. Ferriero had endorsed another candidate, former Assemblyman Ken Zisa.

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After the votes of the Bergen Democratic Committee were counted last night, Ms. Weinberg had four fewer than Mr. Zisa on the question of who should hold the seat of State Senator Byron M. Baer of Englewood, who resigned last week, until a special election on Nov. 8. Ms. Weinberg had one vote fewer than Mr. Zisa on the question of who should hold the seat until Mr. Baer's term would have expired in 2007.

But there were seven contested ballots among the approximately 230 cast, and Ms. Weinberg said she would decide within a day or so whether she would challenge the results. She said she thought the election was fair.

By going against Mr. Ferriero, Senator Corzine staked a claim to his independence in the middle of a campaign for governor in which Republicans have accused him of being too closely aligned with the party's power brokers.

"Very few political strategists would say that when you're running for political office, you want to create controversy," Mr. Corzine said after a speech in Hackensack on Wednesday. "But sometimes there are principles that you must stand up for."

Whether based on principle or politics, Mr. Corzine's stance was significant because it represented his most public disagreement with his party. After last night's vote, in which Mr. Zisa was selected to fill the seat, a spokesman for the senator declined to comment pending Ms. Weinberg's decision regarding a challenge.

The disagreement between Senator Corzine and some Democratic leaders arose after the resignation of Senator Baer, who had served in the Legislature for more than three decades, including the last 11 years the Senate. Mr. Baer, who is 75 and has Parkinson's disease, cited his illness when he announced his resignation on Sept. 8.

Almost immediately, candidates began scrambling to represent the party in the special election, and the field was quickly whittled down to Assemblywoman Weinberg and Mr. Zisa.

Mr. Corzine's decision to throw his support behind Ms. Weinberg "signals his independence," said Ingrid Reed, director of the Eagleton New Jersey Project at Rutgers University.

Mr. Ferriero accused Senator Corzine of attempting to micromanage party affairs. Mr. Corzine countered that Ms. Weinberg - a member of the Assembly for 13 years - not only had impressive credentials but was also one of just 19 women in the 120-member Legislature. "We have one of the poorest records in the country in having women in major political offices, or political life," Mr. Corzine said on Wednesday, adding: "Do I think that we need to get women in public office? Yes. Will I take risks to make sure that that happens if I'm governor? Yes. Is that what I did here? Yes."

Ms. Reed said that because Senator Corzine cast Ms. Weinberg's candidacy as a way to increase the representation of women in the Legislature, his skirmish with Mr. Ferriero could help him with female voters and others regardless of the outcome.

Copyright 2005 The New York Times Company

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