Leonard Connors

State Sen. Joe Pennacchio has won some important Ocean County endorsements for his U.S. Senate race.

Pennacchio today announced the support of State Senators Andrew Ciesla, Robert Singer and Chris Connors -- all three of whom represent Ocean County.

Frank Murkowski became the eleventh United States Senator elected from the unusually large (eighteen) freshman class of 1980 to have their political career end in defeat. Murkowski, who left the Senate in 2002 to run for Governor of Alaska, joins Jeremiah Denton, Paul Hawkins, Mack Mattingly, James Abdnor, Slade Gorton, Robert Kasten, Alphonse D'Amato, Mark Andrews, Alan Dixon and Dan Quayle as part of the club. Only three of the eighteen members of the Class of 1980 remain in the Senate: Christopher Dodd, Charles Grassley and Arlen Specter. Three others (Steve Symms, Warren Rudman and Don Nickles) retired from the Senate, and John East committed suicide during the final year of his term.

In a similary large freshman class of seventeen New Jersey State Senators elected in 1981, six have ended their political careers in defeat, three remain in the Senate, one now serves in Congress, two resigned to take pension-boosting state jobs, four retired, and one died in office.

Jack Gallagher, James Bornheimer and John Paolella lost their seats in 1983, Francis McManimon and Gerald Stockman lost in 1991, and Joseph Bubba (www.bubbabythesea.com) lost in a 1997 primary. James Saxton went to Congress in 1984. James Hurley resigned in 1990 to become a Casino Control Commissioner, and Louis Bassano left the Senate in 2001 to take a job at the Sports Authority. Walter Rand died in 1990. Three of the four who left the Senate voluntarily went on to hold other public posts: Daniel Dalton became Secretary of State, Edward O'Connor serves as a Superior Court Judge, and Herman Costello continued for many years as the Mayor of Burlington City; the fourth retiree was John Lynch, who plays a key role in Middlesex County politics. The three remaining members of the Class of '81 are Richard Codey, Leonard Connors and Gerald Cardinale.

CORRUPTION BILLS INCLUDE MANDATORY IMPRISONMENT
Corrupt Officials Will Face Jail Time Under Committee Substitute

Legislation sponsored by Senator Leonard Connors, (R-9), which would increase the penalties and fines for officials convicted of graft and corruption passed the Senate Judiciary Committee today.

REPUBLICANS TO ADLER: DROP SHAM REFORM BILL
18 Republican Senators Call for Real Anti-Corruption Bill

Senator Leonard T. Connors, Jr., (R-Ocean) issued the following statement in advance of the Monday, June 26th meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee to consider a Democrat-inspired substitute bill that fails to impose mandatory sentences for corrupt public officials and too narrowly defines what constitutes a crime of public corruption: