Sen. Inverso won't
seek another term
GOP incumbent becomes
12th senator set to retire
By JONATHAN TAMARI,
Home News Tribune Online 03/27/07
HAMILTON — Sen. Peter Inverso,
R-Mercer, Middlesex, will not seek re-election, he announced Monday, making him
the 12th sitting senator to announce his retirement.
Assemblyman Bill Baroni Jr., also R-Mercer, Middlesex, Inverso's running mate,
immediately said he would seek the open Senate seat this November. Seema
Singh, who resigned from her post as ratepayer advocate hours after Inverso's
announcement, is slated to run for the Democrats, but Assemblywoman Linda
Greenstein, D-Middlesex, who also represents the district, said she might now
seek the Senate seat, given the new circumstances. That move would bump
Singh to the Assembly slate.
"Right at this moment I'm running for the Assembly, but that could change,"
Greenstein said.
Inverso, who sponsored the landmark sex-offender community-notification bill
known as Megan's Law, said he was stepping aside to devote more time to his
family and job as president of Roma Bank.
"You reach a point in your life when you say, "I need to balance myself a little
more' and spend more time with those people who have loved me and who cherish me
and who I love and cherish," said Inverso, 68.
His retirement adds another name to the list of lawmakers stepping aside this
year and opening the door for the most widespread turnover in the Senate since
at least 1992, when 13 new senators took office. There are still questions
about several other senators' plans, and the primary and general elections could
create even more change.
But unlike many of the previous retirements, Inverso's decision opens up a seat
in a split district. Most of the other retirements have come in safe
districts where the incumbent party is expected to maintain control of the
seats.
Inverso is the ninth Senate Republican to announce his retirement, equaling half
of the caucus.
"Obviously we will be losing a great deal of expertise and institutional memory.
We have a deep bench of candidates, most of whom are coming from the Assembly,"
said Senate Minority Leader Leonard Lance, R-Hunterdon.
Lance praised Inverso's work on government ethics and Megan's Law, which spawned
imitations across the country. Inverso made his announcement at Megan
Nicole Kanka Memorial Park in Hamilton, created at the site of the house where
the 7-year-old Kanka was raped and killed by a man with two previous convictions
for sex crimes. After her death Inverso sponsored the law, which requires
parents to be notified when a sex offender moves into their neighborhood.
Asked about his legacy, Inverso mentioned Megan's Law and fought back tears,
unable to continue speaking. His daughters and some staff members openly
cried. Maureen Kanka, Megan's mother, praised Inverso's work.
"He did a lot of wonderful things, and he did a lot of wonderful things by my
family," Kanka said.
Inverso, who has served in the Senate since 1992, said he would complete his
current term, which runs through January. His decision to retire from the
Legislature was sped by Roma's decision in July 2006 to go public, which he said
put more demands on his time.
Baroni said he would run to "continue (Inverso's) legacy."
jtamari@gannett.com
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