PLAINFIELD – Veteran Assemblyman Jerry Green (D-22), Plainfield, said he wants the Democratic Party to not only back state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18) for governor, but also support her decisions, and he criticized Bishop Reginald Jackson for not immediately delivering his support to the presumptive Democratic candidate.
“I am not happy with the handful of leaders around the state who have their own personal agenda and are not getting behind her early on,” Green told PolitickerNJ.com on Saturday where he led his re-election kickoff rally downtown with running mate Assemblywoman Linda Stender (D-22) and Democratic State Party Chairman John Wisniewski.
Green singled out Jackson, whose Black Ministers’ Council has not issued an endorsement of a gubernatorial candidate. Jackson said last week he is finished with those politicians who fail to continue to entertain education funding options beyond the public schools, including vouchers.
Buono does not support vouchers.
“He represents a very small percentage, and the Republicans roll him out when it’s to their advantage,” the assemblyman said of Jackson.
Green further jabbed at his own party leadership signaling that it would not happily embrace Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell (D-31) as state party chairman if Buono were to select him in June.
Party members anticipate Wisniewski will soon announce his retirement as state chairman, as a committee bylaw-designated courtesy to the gubernatorial candidate, in this case Buono.
“That should be her call,” Green said of the selection process for the next state chair. “If she’s going to be our governor, she should make the call. She should say, ‘these are my choices, my decisions.’ Now, I don’t want her going in the opposite direction either: ‘my way or the highway,’ but the state chairman’s choice is hers.”
