New Jersey's lieutenant governor remains a mystery--by Elise Young/Statehouse Bureau

Voters in Tuesday's Republican primary will choose their favorite gubernatorial candidate -- and then leave it to the winner to pick New Jersey's potential chief-executive-in-waiting.

No Republican -- or Democrat or independent, for that matter -- has named his choice for lieutenant governor, to be the state's first since voters approved a constitutional change in 2005.

Chris Christie, the former U.S. attorney and front-runner of three Republicans on the ballot, said his lieutenant would help run a commission to streamline government. Steve Lonegan, the former Bogota mayor, said he favors someone with a business background.

Richard Merkt, the Morris County assemblyman who chose not to run for re-election so he could focus on the governor's race, agrees with Lonegan. ''I want someone who could be a chief executive officer of a $30 billion or $40 billion corporation with 80,000 employees,'' said Merkt. ''That's a pretty tall order.''

The job holder's main duty would be to fill in for an absent boss and to take over if the term is not completed. The idea was to prevent a repeat of the scenarios when governors Christie Whitman and James E. McGreevey resigned, leaving the office to Senate presidents whom voters did not choose in a statewide election.

Critics say the position functions as little more than as a ticket balancer -- that is, gubernatorial candidates are known to pick someone of the opposite sex, or of a different ethnicity, to appeal to more voters. The office itself, they say, adds another layer of costly bureaucracy.

Supporters argue the job can be a vital step to statewide office, particularly for women and minorities. And a study from 1980 to 2006 by the National Lieutenant Governors Association showed 65 of 197 governors -- 25 percent -- once had served as second-in-command.

In many of the 41 other states with a lieutenant governor, the day-to-day job description is lightweight, with an emphasis on appearances at county fairs and speeches to schoolchildren. But occasionally, governors-in-waiting ascend unexpectedly: Last year, David A. Paterson took over when New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer resigned after a prostitution scandal, and in 2004, M. Jodi Rell of Connecticut replaced Gov. John G. Rowland, who left office during a corruption investigation.

New Jersey's future governors will have the option to appoint their backups to substantial roles, such as a cabinet-level agency commissioner.

A bill approved by the Assembly in late May would compel major-party candidates to name their lieutenants within 30 days of the primary or, for independents, within 30 days of filing nominating petitions. If approved swiftly by the Senate and signed by the governor, the law could apply to this year's race.

Democratic Gov. Jon Corzine said in January he was considering Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer and Sen. Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex).

Corzine said in a recent interview with the Record editorial board that his choice would be someone who could draw votes to his ticket.

''I would like to use this individual in a specific, functional role,'' Corzine said, adding that at that time he still had not made his choice. ''We're going to look at politics, too.''
Booker, however, said he was not interested.

''When someone's looking at a political future, do you want to play second banana?'' Rich Lee, communications director for the nonpartisan Hall Institute of Public Policy, said of Booker. ''He's getting exposure as the mayor of the City of Newark, probably more so than he would get as lieutenant governor.''

On the Republican side, Bergen County Clerk Kathleen Donovan has surfaced as a possibility. But Donovan said no campaign has spoken to her.

'It sounds like it would be a fabulous opportunity where you could do a lot of good,'' she said. ''I'm very happy being Bergen County clerk as well.''

Late last year, a website started advocating for Sen. Jennifer Beck of Monmouth County, whose staff has said she has no affiliation with the site's creator.

Ben Dworkin, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, said that for all potential lieutenants, vetting will involve ''talking to them, investigating them.''
''The key to picking a lieutenant governor is much like picking a vice president in a national situation,'' Dworkin said. ''The first rule is 'Do no harm.' If your (lieutenant governor) candidate hurts you because of something you weren't prepared for, that reflects on the capabilities of the No. 1 person. That's why you have to make sure there are no surprises there.''

During last year's presidential race, Barack Obama didn't announce a vice presidential search committee until early June -- just days before Hillary Clinton dropped out. He named Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware on Aug. 23, a little more than two months from Election Day.

Lee said that just as in a national contest, New Jersey candidates are likely to assess their vulnerabilities, then choose a partner with strengths in those areas.

''It seems like we're looking at people who can balance the ticket geographically, ethnically, ideologically,'' he said. ''Ideally it would be nice if the candidates, prior to the primary, had indicated who they would select, and give voters more information to base their decision on. Ultimately they're going to be electing two people.''

Sources:
Lonegan, Christie continue hunt for GOP voters
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/nj/20090601_Lonegan__Christie_continue_hunt_for_GOP_voters.html