Peter Eagler

The new field director of Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change in New Jersey is Tim Del Monico, who is on leave from his position as a Legislative Assistant to U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone.  Del Monico worked for the 2002 New Jersey Coordinated Campaign in 2002 and for U.S. Sen. Bob Torricelli and Assemblyman Peter Eagler before joining John Kerry’s presidential campaign.   Del Monico has worked campaigns in Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada, California and Arizona.

Passaic County Freeholder Director Elease Evans seems to be headed to the State Assembly -- by now, it's no secret that she is Democratic County Chairman John Currie's choice to take the 35th district seat held until Monday by Alfred Steele.  Now the big question seems to be about her Freeholder seat. 

Peter Eagler, who gave up his seat on the Passaic County Board of Freeholders to concentrate on his State Assembly re-election campaign -- before Essex County Democrats dumped him from the organization line -- seems to be planning his political comeback. There are reports that he is working hard to fill vacant Democratic County Committee seats in Clifton. It's possible that Eagler wants his ducks in order in case 34th district Senator Nia Gill winds up in Jon Corzine's administration (Gill, a Corzine favorite, has been mentioned as a possible candidate for several posts, including Attorney General and even United States Senator.) That would prompt a special election convention for Gill's seat, and perhaps a subsequent one if Sheila Oliver or Thomas Giblin move up from the Assembly. Eagler could also be looking at a return to the Board of Freeholders; there is considerable speculation that Democrats want to dump incumbent Lois Cuccinello from their line.

Sources close to Valerie Huttle, the likely winner of a State Assembly seat in the 37th district next month, say that she will serve out the remainder of her term on the Bergen County Board of Freeholders and not seek re-election to that post in 2006. There has been some speculation that Huttle would step down from her county post if she won election to the Legislature. Huttle, the source says, wants to continue her role as a Democratic Freeholder not controlled by her pary's leadership -- which means she is simpy uncomfortable allowing County Chairman Joseph Ferriero the opportunity to fille her Freeholder seat with someone who might be less independent. There is no legal impediment to dual officeholding: in Passaic County, Peter Eagler has been an Assemblyman and Freeholder for the past four years.

The Senate has not yet scheduled a session for Loretta Weinberg to take the oath of office, and that may not happen until after the general election. In the meantime, she remains an Assemblywoman. At such time that she does resign, Bergen County Democrats will need to call a Special Election Convention within 7-35 days to fill the remaining weeks of her current term. Presumably Huttle wil win that. Watch for Ferriero to call the meeting closer to the 35th day, just to bug Huttle.