N.J.′s top Democrat sees opportunity in defeat′s wake
February 1, 2010
Assemblyman John Wisniewski, unanimously elected the state′s Democratic Party chairman last week, assumes his new role in the wake of a crushing defeat that cost his party the governorship for the first time in a dozen years.
But the highest-ranking Democrat in a deep-blue state sees opportunity. During his two-year tenure, he could influence New Jersey politics for the next decade.
"We are all disappointed in the outcome of the election last November and know that we cannot allow a repeat in 2010," Wisniewski, 47, told party members in his acceptance speech.
Recent Democratic losses - including Gov. Jon S. Corzine′s failed reelection bid - were more about voters′ hunger for change than a decline of the party, the Middlesex County legislator said in an interview.
New Jersey voters are "justifiably frustrated about their lot in life, particularly the economy," and they don′t seem to know that Democrats have cut the growth in state spending and more fairly distributed education funding, he said.
They "see Democrats talking about health care on a national level and they say, ′That′s not what′s concerning us.′ To harken back to a line from Bill Clinton′s day, ′It′s the economy.′ That′s what the voters are telling us."
Wisniewski must both define the Democrats′ message and raise money now that Corzine, the party′s biggest donor, is out of the game, said Rider University political scientist Ben Dworkin.
"It′s a tough position," Dworkin said.
Corzine′s largesse was "both a blessing and a curse," Wisniewski said. His years of giving to party candidates were like "taking a ride in a car instead of walking. You lose a little muscle tone."
The Sayreville resident, who is married and has three teenage daughters, is a lawyer who has concentrated on transportation issues since he was elected to the Legislature in 1995.
He was among the earliest opponents of Corzine′s plan to use revenue from the state′s toll roads to back billions of dollars in bonds. The scheme sent Corzine′s popularity on a downhill slide from which it never recovered, according to Patrick Murray, director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute.
Wisniewski becomes chairman of the Democratic State Committee a year before New Jersey adjusts the boundaries of its 40 state legislative districts and 13 congressional districts, an intensely political event that occurs after each decennial U.S. Census. How the lines are drawn affects a party′s chances of having its candidates elected.
New Jersey could lose a congressional seat this decade because of a population shift, making the redistricting even more consequential.
As Democratic chairman, Wisniewski will have a hand in the process. He could pick five of the 11 members of the state legislative redistricting commission and two of the 13 members of the congressional redistricting commission.
His most pressing task, observers say, is to address a fissure within his party.
"One of the first things he needs to do is ensure that all the Democrats, particularly in the state Legislature, are unified behind the Democratic leadership," said Brigid Harrison, a Montclair State University political scientist.
"A divided Democratic Party is at a significant disadvantage against Republicans who appear to be reasserting themselves in the state," Harrison said.
The rift helped Wisniewski land the party chairmanship.
After the shake-up in party leadership that led to Stephen M. Sweeney (D., Gloucester) replacing Richard J. Codey (D., Essex) as Senate president, some party members felt bruised. Among the deals that resulted was to give Wisniewski his new job.
"If there are any individuals who feel [the leadership battle] should have played out a different way, we′ll be able to reconcile that working this year for a Democratic victory," he said.
His first test will be this year′s congressional races. Democrats hold an 8-5 edge over Republicans in the 13-member delegation, with competitive races on the horizon in the Third District, which traverses Burlington and Ocean Counties, and the Seventh District in central New Jersey.
