Dunn will get prime Assembly desk, for her first seven weeks

Assemblywoman-elect Aura Dunn (R-Mendham) will literally get a front row seat in Assembly chambers when she takes office tomorrow.

The New Jersey Globe has learned that Dunn will sit at the desk previously occupied by Anthony M. Bucco (R-Boonton) before his resignation last month to serve in the State Senate.

By giving Dunn the old Bucco desk – which occupies a coveted aisle seat – the Office of Legislative Services will be spared the inconvenience and expense of moving seats around for the final seven weeks of the current legislative session.

Bucco went from a prime spot on the Assembly floor to a desk along the wall of the Senate chamber.

The desk that had been occupied by his late father, Senate Minority Conference Leader Anthony R. Bucco (R-Boonton) is now inhabited by Senate Republican Budget Officer Steve Oroho (R-Franklin).  The five GOP senators who sat to Oroho’s left have all moved one seat down, with Bucco getting the end desk.

Leaving Dunn at Bucco’s old desk for the next seven weeks also allows Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) to punt on which of the two incoming Minority Conference Leaders – Nancy Munoz (R-Summit) and John DiMaio (R-Hackettstown) – will get a prime, aisle desk location.

Munoz, now the Minority Whip, occupies a front row middle seat, next to where Dunn will sit.

In the Assembly these days, there is no such thing as a Republican back-bencher.  With a 54-26 majority – those numbers will shift to 52-28 next year – the entire back row of the Assembly is occupied by Democrats.