Governor-elect Chris Christie and Lt. Governor-elect Kim Guadagno roared through Monmouth County towns last week, from Aberdeen to West Long Branch, steamrollering the Bozo-coiffed, now lame-duck Gov. Jon Corzine in an overwhelming majority of towns. One of our own will be going to Trenton.
We are well aware of what this means locally insofar as the Sheriff's office goes. Kim vacates the office upon taking office as Lt. Governor and Christie must appoint her replacement, who must run for a full term in November.
We also know that Christie will appoint an entire new Cabinet, including a new Attorney General, who the governor-elect has said will be faced with the task of fighting political corruption. This will make John D'Amico's (Flippy) ethics board much less relevant.
Christie will also have the authority to appoint county prosecutors, including a successor to Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin, who's term expires in 2010. Valentin was appointed by then-Governor Dick Codey with input from Christie, but I believe that Christie would be looking to appoint his own person, one that will be more aggressive than Valentin on public corruption. This, too, will make moot a county ethics board, no matter how distinguished its members.
Another important position to open up during Christie's tenure is that of Commissioner of Registration / Superintendent of Elections, currently held by Democrat Hedra Siskel of Marlboro. Her term expires about 2012. This is an important office, as it oversees the actual registration of voters in the county, as well as the investigation and removal of ineligible voters from the roster. With groups like ACORN and its ilk operating in the urban areas of our great county, it is important that the right person is sitting in that office, working to prevent the corruption of voter fraud.
The transition will be an interesting, bracing time for Monmouth County Republicans. But that will continue beyond the transition, into the administration itself.
