It appears that Loretta Weingberg, staunch progressive from Bergen County, will be Jon Corzine’s No. 2 on the November ballot. Weinberg’s “legislative record,” according to The Star-Ledger,
has earned her praise as a champion of women’s issues and progressive causes.
“To progressive voters all across New Jersey, Governor Corzine’s selection of Loretta Weinberg is like adding a jolt of a million volts. We are electrified,” Steven Goldstein, chair of Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s leading gay rights group, wrote to supporters. “He named a legend. It’s a selection that says volumes about his exemplary leadership and his progressive vision of our state.”
In the weeks leading up to the choice, a number of names have been bandied about, the politics of the choice appearing the major point of contention. Does the governor select a black candidate to sure up the black vote for his party? Does he pick a woman? Does he go to a county he absolutely must carry? Chris Christie, the Republican, faced far fewer of these questions — the GOP’s base being somewhat more homogeneous.
But the politics — a woman from Bergen County whose progressive credentials could solidify Corzine’s left flank — are less important than what the lieutenant governor could bring to an administration. What roles might Weinberg or Monmouth County Sheriff Kim Guadagno — Christie’s LG pick — play after the election?
I like Weinberg. She has a great track record on the issues I believe are important — health care, civil rights (including the rights of same-sex couples), ethics. She understands Trenton, but has not become entrenched — she had to withstand a challenge from her own party’s leadership to retain her seat two years ago.
Hank Kalet 