The word at the Essex County Democratic Committee convention today was that state Sen. Barbara Buono (D-18), currently a resident of Metuchen in Middlesex County, has Essex County residency in her sights.
A party source said Buono and family plan to move to Montclair – or at least have a house there – and a source close to the 2013 Democratic nominee for governor confirmed that Buono has talked openly about the prospect of returning to her county roots.
To pursue her run for governor, Buono did not seek re-election to the state Senate in LD18.
At least one Democratic source at this afternoon’s convention grinned devilishly when considering the political impact of Buono resurfacing in the county where she was born just in time for the 2014 re-election of intra-party foe Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo.
Payback time, the grin said.
DiVincenzo backed Republican incumbent Gov. Chris Christie over Buono, who was born in Newark, grew up in Nutley and attended Montclair State University.
But a source close to the former gubernatorial candidate said she does not have plans to personally pursue a run for county executive against DiVincenzo.
That doesn’t mean, though, that she won’t get involved in county and Newark politics, the source added.
