Scutari invites Codey back into Senate leadership

Former Gov. Richard J. Codey (D-Roseland) has returned to the Senate leadership team twelve years after Steve Sweeney ousted him as Senate President after the 2009 election.

Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D-Linden) announced on Tuesday that Codey would serve as Deputy Senate President Pro-Tempore, a move that will allow him to occasionally preside over Senate votes for the first time in twelve years.

Codey will also serve as chairman of the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee.

Scutari said today that State Sens. James Beach (D-Voorhees), the Camden County Democratic Chairman, and Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro) would stay on as Assistant Majority Leaders.

The new Senate Majority Leader, Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), took office yesterday as the first Latina majority leader in either house; she’s also the first non-white majority leader in the Senate.   The new Senate President Pro-Tempore is Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City), who succeeds Ruiz.

Previously, Scutari had announced that that Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) would remain as Deputy Majority Leader and Vin Gopal (D-Long Branch) would stay in as Senate Majority Conference Leader.  Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon) will be the Majority Caucus Chair, a new position.

Codey served four years as Senate Minority Leader and then as eight as Senate President.  He began his 49th year in the New Jersey Legislature on Tuesday.

For 84 hours in 2002 and from November 2004 to January 2006, Codey served as Governor of New Jersey.