Counting noses is risky in leadership elections

There is a margin of error when it comes to counting votes in a close intra-party leadership election because some of the voters tell candidates what they want to hear.

After the 1981 election, Assembly Speaker Christopher Jackman (D-West New York), was seeking an unprecedented third year in the top post.

Jackman was a character.  A colorful, gregarious Hudson County labor leader prone to malapropisms.  He was popular in his caucus and well-liked by Republicans.

In the old days, legislative leadership positions were rotated every year.  A legislator would start as the Assistant Whip, move up to Whip, then Assistant Leader, and then Leader.  Unless there was a reset where a county made a leadership deal, or if there was a change in party control, the official would move up Senate President or Assembly Speaker in year five.

In the 1970s, one year became two.  Eventually the number grew exponentially; the last three Senate Presidents spent a decade as their party’s leader in the upper house.

Jackman wanted another year as speaker, but Majority Leader Alan Karcher (D-Sayreville) was ready for his turn.

Democrats lost just one seat in 1981 and had a 43-37 majority.

Jackman’s nose count of his caucus gave him 27 votes, but Karcher won the election after forging a Central Jersey/South Jersey coalition.  The caucus declined to release the final tally.

That prompted one of Jackman’s more famous lines.

“I was always pretty good at counting noses,” he said.  “I just didn’t realize how many people in Trenton had two of ’em.”