After legislative borders were redrawn, Sen. Richard Codey's (D-Essex) district added areas from long-time Republican towns in Morris County and he faces tea-party activist Bill Eames in the election
State Sen. Richard Codey, left, greets Madison resident Peter Allocca, one of the many morning commuters at the Madison Train Station waiting for a train into New York. Madison is one of several new Republican Morris County towns that have been added to his once all-Essex County district. TRENTON — In the spring, state Sen. Richard Codey threw himself into a new ritual.
He locked himself in the library of his Roseland home, muted a Cincinnati Reds game on the television and called up Morris County voters for several hours.
And so it is how Codey has tackled his latest challenge — being lumped in a new legislative district that has changed drastically from the ones the Democratic legislator has represented over his nearly 40-year career.
"This is the first time I’ve really had a general election," Codey, 64, (D-Essex) said over lunch at Romanelli’s Pizza in Madison.
Although he has had a few close scrapes in party primaries, general elections have been formalities. But this time, Codey — veteran lawmakwer, former governor and not long ago the state’s most popular politician — has had to fight, though conventional wisdom has him winning comfortably.
"I think the folks who believe in the status quo and conventional wisdom think Dick Codey is the favorite," said his Republican opponent, Bill Eames, a tea party activist. "I don’t think that’s going to prove to be the case. This district is radically different than anything he’s faced, and that’s why he’s spent far more money in this race than any other race."
Gov. Chris Christie has also picked up the scent of blood, and recently held a fundraiser for the three Republicans who are challenging Codey and his running mates, Assembly members Mila Jasey and John McKeon.
State Sen. Richard Codey, a former governor, greets morning commuters at the Madison Train Station as they prepare to board a train into New York City.The governor also made a TV ad for the two Republican Assembly candidates, Nicole Hagner, the mayor of Chatham, and Lee Holtzman, a tax attorney from Livingston.
There has been plenty of speculation that Republicans are trying to soften up Codey with the intention of taking him out two years from now, or to weaken him should he decide to challenge Christie in 2013.
How did Codey wind up in Madison, long a Republican bastion?
In April, legislative district boundaries were redrawn following the 2010 census. Democrats prevailed in drawing the new map, but Codey’s colleagues — who have tangled with the impish legislator — put him in a district for the first time that includes six towns in Morris County.
Morris and Essex counties share a border, but little else.
"Usually I’ve represented districts that are almost all urban or at least half," Codey said. "Now it’s strictly suburban. That’s fine. People are people. They have the same needs and desires as anybody else."
Codey blames two of the state’s most influential Democrats and longtime rivals, George Norcross in South Jersey and Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, for thrusting him in a less friendly district.
"The agenda was take care of the South, prepare a seat for Joe D’s kid ... and make sure you screw Codey," he said.
That hasn’t stopped him from amassing $1.5 million — far outpacing Eames, who has collected $114,000, almost half his own.
Still, Republicans hope to overtake one or both of Codey’s running mates — Assembly members John McKeon (D-Essex) and Mila Jasey (D-Essex).
State Sen. Richard Codey greets morning commuter and Madison resident Christine Boyle, at the Madison Train Station.Recognizing the challenge, Codey has trotted out a dozen endorsements from current and former Republican officials in Morris County. And at Romanelli’s, he sat with two Republicans — the restaurant’s owner, Dominick Romanelli, and an attorney, Sam DeAngelis.
"Frankly, we think very highly of his cousin Ray, who’s the town administrator and a really good guy," said DeAngelis, who added that a lot of people know Codey from his family’s funeral home.
Codey doesn’t have the luxury of being able to ignore Eames, however, whom he calls an "extremist" and said his tea party group's website has controversial book recommendations and links to a video skeptical of Persident Obama's citizenship.
"He believes that Obama’s not a citizen, and he recommends to people to read the Rise and Fall of the Third Reich because that’s what Obama’s doing," Codey said.
Eames, 61, dismissed Codey’s criticism.
"Look at what I’ve done with my life and background, the same way you should evaluate Dick Codey that way," he said. "Dick Codey has voted for 115 taxes."
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