2011 Power List and Year in Review - PolitickerNJ.com

PolitickerNJ.com
Power list 2011
14 PolitickerNJ
46
Elnardo
47
Wayne
48
Tom
49
Matt
50
Bill
51
Brendan
52
Bill
53
Al
Webster
Attorney. Political Advisor to Newark Mayor Cory Booker
Wherever Newark Mayor Cory Booker goes he invites considerable speculation regarding his
statewide political future. Whether he runs for governor in 2013 or senator in 2014, assuredly his
friend and political confidant, Webster, will be at his side.
Hasenbalg
President and CEO of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority.
When you have the cell phones of John Mara, Steve Tisch, Woody Johnson and Jeff Vanderbeek
on your speed dial, you have power. Hasenbalg was at the point on all of the governor’s sports
related initiatives, including planning for the Super Bowl, Formula 1 racing and a push to bring an
NHL All-Star game to the Prudential Center. AS part of the governor’s administration shake-up,
Hasenbalg will now take those contacts to the NJSEA. Hasenbalg will be a popular man when the
state’s political elite begin looking for tickets.
Moran
Editorial Page Editor for the Star-Ledger
New Jersey’s resident thin-skinned one, at least by the reckoning of Gov. Chris Christie, Moran,
with his combination of editorials and columns, also occupies one of the strongest platforms to
counterpoint Christie and voice his progressive views on the issues.
Boxer
State Comptroller
As the state inches another year closer to Christie’s re-election bid and partisan politics rage, the
comptroller is arguably never more valuable - or powerful. Boxer isn’t afraid to use his independent
office to tackle contentious issues, like when he went after the state’s pay-to-play laws this year,
arguing they had done next to nothing to stem contract steerage to the politically connected.
Mullen
President, New Jersey State Building and Construction Trades Council
Mullen and the construction trades provided political capital and much needed public support for
the governor’s efforts to get the Revel casino and the American Dream mall back on the line. The
trade council he heads represents 150,000 rank and file members and he remains a close ally of
Senate President Steve Sweeney, who like Mullen is an ironworker.
Gill
State Director for U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ)
A popular inside player, Gill runs an active U.S. Senate Office for Lautenberg. His strength is a
careful approach to choosing battles in which to engage the venerable U.S. Senator, most notably
on the ARC tunnel and education funding, where Lautenberg repeatedly defined himself in stark
contrast to Gov. Chris Christie. Now a freeholder-elect after winning the 4th District Essex
County Freeholder seat and apparently bound for a career in elected office, this may be Gill’s last
appearance on the power list, at least for a while.
Caruso
Executive Director of the Assembly Democratic Majority Office
The former chief-of-staff of U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) ensures a South Jersey thumb print on
the workings of the Assembly Majority. This well-liked operative is a key go conduit between the
front office and Speaker Sheila Oliver (D-34).
Doblin
Editorial Page Editor, The Bergen Record
Just as he has not hesitated to fling tomahawks at Democrats, the Bergen County wordsmith
took aim at this year’s Republican candidates for freeholder as well as the GOP’s 38th District
legislative candidates. Post Election Day, the GOP railed against the Record’s editorials, fingering
Doblin as one of the prime reasons they lost. They sounded just like the Ferriero-era Democrats,
and that’s called cross-the-aisle power.