Maggie Moran

Lisa Jackson will become the first African American to serve as Chief of Staff to the Governor of New Jersey.  She is Jon Corzine's third Chief of Staff since he took office in January 2006.  Expect other staff changes over the next few months.  It is anticipated that Deputy Chief of Staff Maggie Moran will leave the front office to manage Corzine's re-election campaign, and insiders say that Deputy Chief of Staff Patti Nelson McGuire and Policy Director Adam Zellner are also expected to leave by January. 

Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Lisa Jackson remains the leading candidate to become Jon Corzine's Chief of Staff when Bradley Abelow leaves.  Speculation of Abelow's departure has persistsed for the last six months, but sources close to the administration say the former Goldman Sachs partner will most certainly be gone by the end of the year.  Democratic insiders say that Maggie Moran, Corzine's politically savvy Deputy Chief of Staff for the last four years (and State Director when he was in the Senate) will leave state government to become manage the Governor's re-election campaign. 

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Union City): Politicker photo

DENVER - Sen. Robert Menedez (D-Union City) sang a more than passable verison of Toora loora looral the Pallone-Pascrell pre-Obama speech party at the Celtic Tavern hre Thursday night.

The Irish-Americans in the room listened with apparent satisfaction.

Corzine deputy chief of staff Maggie Moran, governor's spokesman Sean Darcy, Pallone chief Jeff Carroll and others all gave Menendez's perfomance a ramrod thumbs-up.

There wasn't a dry mug in the place.

Democrats view Belmar Councilman Matt Doherty as their best chance to pick up a seat in the Monmouth-based eleventh district, where the GOP has not lost since 1989. Doherty ran an aggressive and well-financed campaign for the State Assembly in 2005 against two Republican incumbents, but lost.

Frank Lautenberg is running for re-election, so the question of contested primaries for open House seats may be a moot issue.  But if the 83-year-old U.S. Senator changes his mind, its possible that a number of Democratic Congressmen could take a shot – perhaps their final shot – at a seat in the United States Senate.

Since most New Jersey congressional districts are not necessarily competitive, it could be up to Democratic primary voters (if it even gets that far) to decide who the next Congressman would be.  And in each district, there is no shortage of people who would be interested in going to Congress.

Matt Doherty, who waged a strong race for the State Assemby in the eleventh district last year, will run for Belmar Councilman in November. Local Democrats picked him to replace Timothy McCorry, who dropped out of the race. The incumbent, John Szeliga, is not seeking re-election. Doherty is married to Maggie Moran, the Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor Jon Corzine.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2005

CONTACTS:
Ivette Mendez
Andrew Poag
Brendan Gilfillan
(609) 826-5100

CORZINE NAMES THREE DEPUTY CHIEFS OF STAFF AND PRESS SECRETARY
LaRue, McGuire, Moran, and Coley tapped for posts

TRENTON – Governor-elect Jon S. Corzine today announced that Jeannine LaRue, Patti McGuire and Maggie Moran will join his administration as his deputy chiefs of staff. Corzine also selected Anthony Coley to serve as press secretary.

"I need top-notch people to work closely with me as we tackle the issues facing New Jersey, and, individually, Jeannine LaRue, Patti McGuire and Maggie Moran have tremendous skills and incredible experience," Corzine said. "I am glad they have agreed to join my team and help me make things work."