The Democratic party, which had shown solidarity publicly but privately endured infighting and division, said the party was united behind many goals, such as energizing the state economy Watch video
Senate President Stephen Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver are shown in this file photo. Both were re-elected Thursday as the Democratic Legislature proclaimed unity.TRENTON — After weeks of infighting, a bruised but reshuffled Democratic leadership emerged Thursday, proclaiming the party united in its goal to energize the state economy and scrutinize Gov. Chris Christie’s plan to overhaul public education.
"We have gone through a tough two years, there were a lot of tough decisions that had to be made, not popular ones," Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester), who was re-elected Senate president, said. "We’ve done the reforms that the government needed to be done, now we’ll have to focus on what has not been done by this administration, which is creating jobs and fixing the economy."
Despite the public show of solidarity by the Democrats, the signs of strain and division were apparent.
A defiant State Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) was critical of her party’s leadership after she was replaced as majority leader, the upper chamber’s second-ranking position, by State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Bergen).
Before the Democrats gathered at the Statehouse, Buono wrote in a letter announcing her withdrawing from consideration: "Majority leader is a position that demands concessions be made, concessions I am unwilling to make when I do not believe that they are right for this state and this party."
Sweeney, who has significant influence over the selection process and has tangled publicly with Buono, said the switch reflected the will of rank-and-file members, who voted unamiously for Weinberg.
In the Assembly, Speaker Shelia Oliver (D-Essex) beat back an insurgency by a group of Democrats led by Assemblyman Joe Cryan (D-Union), and will remain in the top position.
The agreement worked out to keep Oliver also put Assemblyman Vinnie Prieto (D-Hudson) in charge of the powerful Budget Committee and made Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden) majority leader, replacing Cryan.
The bitterness stemmed from Oliver’s decision to advance a bill to overhaul pensions and health benefits for public employees to the Assembly floor despite the lack of support among rank-and-file Democrats, who count state workers among their staunchest allies.
Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex) helped arrange a private meeting Thursday between the Oliver and disaffected Democrats. He said the 13 lawmakers told her in stark terms why they wanted her out. And they sought assurances that she would not move bills unless there was agreement among 41 Democrats, a simple majority in 80-member Assembly.
"She said that would be the case," McKeon said. "Historicaly, we had a great Election Day, and we need to be united and move forward. I think we accomplished that."
But a joint statement issued by Oliver and Greenwald disputed McKeon’s account, leaving the clear impression that happy days were not there again.
"Unfortunately Mr. McKeon is not in position to make such a comment, as he’s not a member of leadership and his understanding is not correct," they said.
On the Republican side, both chambers kept their leadership teams intact. Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) won his Assembly colleagues’ unanimous support for minority leader along with Assemblymen Jon Bramnick (R-Union) as conference leader and David Rible (R-Monmouth) as whip.
State Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union) will serve another two-year term as minority leader in the Senate, supported by Sens. Diane Allen (R-Burlington) as his deputy and Anthony Bucco (R-Morris) as the ranking Republican on the Budget Committee.
Christie has made overhauling the public education system — expanding the roles of charter schools, weakening tenure for teachers and establishing a merit pay system — his primary goal in the lameduck legislative session.
But Democrats weren’t in a hurry to give the governor what he wants.
"We are not in favor of his idea of education reform, but we are willing to discuss tenure reform," said Sweeney, adding that Democrats will not allow the governor to dismantle the protections teachers need from political interference.
Christie played down the Democrat’s promise to push back on several issues, including education reform, dismissing it as red meat for the party faithful.
"If they care more about the teachers union and keeping them happy than they care about making the lives of those children and their families better, more hopeful and optimistic," he said, "then I think they failed the leadership test."
Related coverage:
• N.J. Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono will not seek reelection to her leadership post
• N.J. Senate Majority Leader Barbara Buono could be removed from her post
• Sheila Oliver announces N.J. Assembly Democrats to vote on party leadership Thursday