Four Democrats in Middlesex County have announced they would pursue the presumptive vacancy on the state Assembly's 18th Legislative District.
State Sen. Peter Barnes III (D-Middlesex) is scheduled to be appointed to the Superior Court on Thursday, April 21, 2016. So who's it going to be?
Four Middlesex County Democrats say they would pursue a seat likely to be left vacant in the state Assembly's 18th Legislative District following the nomination of state Sen. Peter Barnes III (D-Middlesex County) to the Superior Court on Thursday.
And curiosity has arisen about who the Middlesex County Democratic Organization would ultimately tap to fill the seat.
Barnes, a former Edison councilman and assemblyman, was scheduled to appear for his nomination in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday.
It's widely believed that state Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan Jr. (D-South Plainfield) would fill Barnes' seat upon his leave. Even Barnes himself seemed fairly sure that's how it would play out.
"I don't believe anyone is (challenging) him," Barnes confidently said Wednesday evening.
But who would fill Diegnan's seat in the Assembly?
Currently, there are four Democrats from Middlesex County who have thrown their hats in the ring, saying that they would pursue the Assembly vacancy.
Three of the candidates are Edison Township Council members Bob Diehl, Rob Karabinchak, and Sapana Shah. The fourth is a councilwoman from Highland Park, Elsie Foster-Dublin.
Karabinchak felt confident that he would have the Party's backing.
"I believe the Party has seen me; they believe in what I can do, not just in Edison, but in the county and New Jersey," Karabinchak said.
Diehl said he just hoped the process would be handled fairly.
"I think it's important for the committee to decide this," he said, adding but with an objective point of view.
A major part of Sapana's platform is the lack of women representing Middlesex County in Trenton today. Her official campaign flyer cites that only two women currently represent the county in Trenton, and only one represents New Jersey in Congress.
Foster-Dublin said the demographics in the county have changed, and that representation in Trenton should reflect that change.
"But we have seen it here in Middlesex County," she said.
Barnes said Wednesday that it would be inappropriate for him to endorse any particular candidate, only saying that, "I think you have four good candidates ... and I wish all four goodwill."
Because the filing deadline for a special primary election ended on April 4, the selection would be left to the roughly 340 committee members of the Middlesex County Democratic Organization.
Barnes, who said that he expected to be confirmed into his new role on Thursday, noted that upon his nomination, he would then vacate his current state Senate seat on Monday.
Upon officially leaving his role, the Middlesex County Democratic Party boss, Kevin McCabe, would then have seven to 35 days to fill that role. Once that seat is filled, another seven- to 35-day window is granted to fill the vacant Assembly seat.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.