Sumter ditched as Assembly Majority Conference Leader

Shavonda Sumter (D-Paterson) has been dumped as Assembly Majority Conference Leader, the New Jersey Globe has learned.

She will be replaced by Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), the chair of the Assembly Judiciary Committee.

Sumter is losing her post after bucking the Democratic leadership on several key issues, according to three sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

In April, Sumter came out in support of Gov. Phil Murphy’s proposed millionaire’s tax.

She also pushed the Assembly leadership to speed up their support of legislation to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour, an initiative that was eventually passed.

The decision to drop Sumter from leadership is not connected to the battle over the Democratic State Chairman post, the sources said.

She is a close political ally of Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie, who is currently battling Essex County Democratic Chairman LeRoy Jones to win re-election as state chairman.

Assembly Democrats have a caucus scheduled for 11 AM this morning to elect leaders for the next legislative term.

Speaker Craig Coughlin, Majority Leader Louis Greenwald and Speaker Pro-Tempore Gordon Johnson are expected to be re-elected without opposition.

The conference leader is considered the #4 position in the Assembly Democratic leadership.

Quijano is also the Deputy Majority Leader, one of five Democrats to hold that post.

This story was updated at 4:29 PM.