Loretta Weinberg

Loretta Weinberg (born February 6 1935, New York City) is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served as a member of the New Jersey Senate since 2005, where she represents the 37th legislative district. Weinberg stepped down from her Assembly seat and was sworn in on November 10, 2005 to fill the Senate seat vacated by Byron Baer.

Weinberg serves in the Senate on the Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee (as Vice-Chair) and on the State Government Committee (also as Vice-Chair) . [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=260 Senator Weinberg's legislative web page] , New Jersey Legislature. Accessed March 24, 2008.] She is a former member of the Senate Commerce Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Before being named to the Senate seat, Weinberg served in the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature, the General Assembly, from 1992-2005. In the Assembly, Weinberg served as the Majority Conference Leader from 2002-2005, Deputy Minority Leader from 1996-2001 and as the Assistant Minority Leader from 1994-1995. Weinberg served as the Chairwoman of the Health and Human Services Committee, as well as the Vice Chairwoman of the Family, Women, and Children’s Services Committee. Additionally, she also served on the New Jersey Historical Commission, Legislative Services Commission and the New Jersey Israel Commission. Some of her past Committee assignments include the Community Services Committee, the Veteran Affairs Committee and, most recently, the Consumer and Regulated Professions Committee.

From 1975-1985, she was the Assistant Administrator to Bergen County. She was elected to the Teaneck Township Council in 1990, completing her council term in 1994. Besides her work in Trenton, Weinberg has also been active in a number of community organizations including the American Red Cross, Shelter Our Sisters, the Bergen Family Center, AARP Teaneck Chapter, New Jersey Network of Women Elected Officials, National Organization of Women Legislators and the National Council of Jewish Women.

She has been recognized as “Legislator Worker of the Year” from the National Association of Social Workers - New Jersey Chapter, The “Friend of New Jersey’s Children Award” from the American Academy of Pediatrics - New Jersey Chapter and the “Legislator of the Year Award” form the New Jersey Center for Outreach and Services for the Autism Community (COSAC). Assemblywoman Weinberg has been selected by Marquis Who's Who for inclusion in the “Who’s Who of American Women List”.

Weinberg graduated from the University of California with a B.A. in History. She has completed all course work for a Master of Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Run for State Senate

Weinberg ran for the New Jersey Senate after fellow District 37 legislator Byron Baer resigned from the Senate on September 8, 2005. From the outset of his term, the resignation of the often-ailing Baer had been the subject of much speculation and maneuvering. In a January 7, 2004 [http://politicsnj.com/kornacki010704_LD37.htm article] for [http://www.PoliticsNJ.com PoliticsNJ.com] , political reporter Steve Kornacki wrote, “Depending on whom you listen to, the 74-year-old Baer will step down sometime between the next few months and January 2008, when his term expires.”

Kornacki identified a number of "potential successors" to Baer, including Hackensack Police Chief and former Assemblyman Charles “Ken” Zisa, who had briefly mounted a challenge to Baer’s 2003 re-nomination before withdrawing it in what some have said was a deal brokered by Bergen County Democratic Organization Chairman Joe Ferriero; Bergen County Freeholder Valerie Huttle; Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes; and Weinberg. “But,” wrote Kornacki, “whether Weinberg, who backed Zisa in his brief bid to topple Baer last year, does want it [the Senate seat] is an open question.”

Sixteen months later, that question appeared to have been answered. In a May 3, 2005 PoliticsNJ.com [http://politicsnj.com/kornacki050305_Weinberg.htm article] , Kornacki reported, “Weinberg essentially admitted to striking a deal with Ferriero. She said the chairman agreed to back her for [Assembly] majority leader, while she pledged to support a candidate of his choosing to replace state Senator Byron Barer when the 75-year old steps down...some say she also had pledged support to Valerie Vainieri Huttle, a freeholder, for the Senate spot.” Following Baer’s resignation, Ferriero backed Zisa to fill the vacancy, as expected. Huttle prepared to challenge Zisa for the nomination. Weinberg then let it be known she was interested, and on September 11, 2005, United States Senator Jon Corzine, the Democratic candidate for Governor of New Jersey, endorsed Weinberg for Baer's seat. Huttle bowed out of the race and endorsed Weinberg.

The Bergen County Democratic Organization caucused on September 15, 2005, to select a candidate. In balloting to replace Baer on an interim basis, Weinberg lost by a 114-110 margin to Zisa. In a separate vote, by a 112-111 margin, Zisa was selected over Weinberg to be the party's candidate on the November ballot. Though she congratulated Zisa in remarks made after results were announced at the September 15 caucus, Weinberg stated that inclusion of several uncounted ballots might change the results in her favor. [Jones, Richard Lezin. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9905E7D81E31F935A2575AC0A9639C8B63 " After Democratic Squabble, Corzine Ally Loses Bid to Fill State Senate Seat"] , "The New York Times", September 16, 2005. Accessed April 1, 2008.]

Weinberg filed a legal challenge to the caucus results to have the unopened ballots included, which she believed were cast for her. On September 20, 2005, New Jersey Superior Court Judge Peter Doyne refused to interfere in what he held was a party matter and upheld the decision of the election mediator, Rep. Steve Rothman, to exclude the five ballots. On September 23, 2005, an Appellate Court panel sent the case back to Judge Doyne, ruling that he did have the authority to address a party issue and that the five uncounted ballots cast by Tenafly Democratic Committee members could be counted irrespective of the failure to file their names within the specified 30-day window. Zisa announced on September 26, 2005, that he would appeal the Appellate panel's decision to the New Jersey Supreme Court. Judge Doyne's hearing on September 28 to readdress the issues was underway when the Supreme Court issued a ruling upholding the Appellate Court's decision and affirming that the 30-day rule for submission of new County Committee members could not be enforced. Judge Doyne decided on October 3, 2005, in Weinberg's favor, ruling that ballots from the "Tenafly Five" should be counted. [Fallon, Scott. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-113805580.html "Judge's ruling clears Weinberg's way to Senate"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", October 4, 2005. Accessed April 1, 2008.]

On October 5, 2005, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that it would not hear an appeal from Ken Zisa and the Bergen County Democratic Organization. The "Tenafly Five" ballots were opened by Judge Peter Doyne, and each ballot was cast for Loretta Weinberg, thus giving her the slim margin of victory. Weinberg defeated Zisa by one vote in balloting to fill Baer's vacated seat on an interim basis, 115-114, and won the contest for the Democratic ballot spot in November, by a total of 116-112. [Fallon, Scott. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-113877505.html "Opened ballots confirm Senate victory"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", October 6, 2005. Accessed April 1, 2008.]

With Weinberg's victory, Bergen County Freeholder Valerie Huttle and Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes both announced their candidacy for Weinberg's Assembly seat. The choice was decided by yet another special convention of the Bergen County Democratic Committee on October 6, 2005, with Huttle outpolling Wildes 121-96. [Fallon, Scott. [http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-113922929.html Huttle gets Democrats' nod to run for Assembly in 37th -- Freeholder defeats Englewood mayor in party tussle"] , "The Record (Bergen County)", October 7, 2005. Accessed April 1, 2008. "Freeholder Valerie Huttle will succeed Loretta Weinberg as a Democratic Assembly candidate in the 37th District after defeating Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes in a county committee election Thursday night. Huttle won, 121-96, to be the party's nominee on the Nov. 8 ballot. She will fill the rest of the Assembly term after Weinberg resigns."] On Election Day, November 8, 2005, Huttle won the Assembly seat.

2007 primary challenge

In 2007, Ferriero endorsed a ticket of Englewood Mayor Michael Wildes, and Cid Wilson and Ken Zisa for Assembly, to face off in a primary challenge against incumbents Weinberg, and her Assembly running mates Valerie Huttle and Gordon M. Johnson. [Gohlke, Josh. "June forecast: heated primaries; Intraparty squabbles promise lively races.", "The Record (Bergen County)", April 10, 2007.] In a deal brokered by Governor of New Jersey Jon Corzine, Ferriero backed off the challenge and announced that he and the county party organization would endorse the three incumbents in the primary. [Smothers, Ronald. [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/15/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/15njpol.html?_r=1&scp=3&sq=ferriero+weinberg+corzine&st=nyt&oref=slogin "Democrats Make Peace in Bergen County"] , "The New York Times", April 15, 2007. Accessed April 2, 2008.]

District 37

Each of the forty districts in the New Jersey Legislature has one representative in the New Jersey Senate and two members in the New Jersey General Assembly. The other representatives from the 37th District for the 2008-2009 Legislative Session are:
*Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle, and
*Assemblyman Gordon M. Johnson

References

External links

* [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/members/BIO.asp?Leg=260 Senator Weinberg's legislative web page] , New Jersey Legislature
*"New Jersey Legislature financial disclosure forms"
** [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/WeinbergL2006.pdf 2007] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/WeinbergL2006.pdf 2006] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/WeinbergL2005.pdf 2005] [http://www.njleg.state.nj.us/ethics/FinancialDisclosure/WeinbergL2004.pdf 2004]
* [http://www.realbergendemocrats.com/ Campaign Website for Weinberg, Johnson, and Huttle 2007]
* [http://www.LorettaWeinberg.com/ Loretta Weinberg Campaign Website]
* [http://www.njvoterinfo.org/cb/weinburg.html New Jersey Voter Information Website 2003]
* [http://www.politicsnj.com/ PoliticsNJ.com]
* [http://politicsnj.com/kornacki010704_LD37.htm Focusing on '07, Bergen Democrats posture for Baer's open Senate seat]
* [http://politicsnj.com/kornacki050305_Weinberg.htm Weinberg mulls challenge to McNerney in Dem primary]