They don’t give off a Mayflower passenger glow, this new class of state senators that jaggedly came up into position in the last year.

“More diverse in background and life experience,” a Democratic senate source offered. “Representative of NJ, will reach across party lines, and not just in a clique, very middle class bunch with a passion for what that means.”

Senator Chris Brown (R-2)

A gee wiz persona cloaks a Desert Storm war hero past, and a professional history that includes a tour of duty as a judge. An Atlantic City native, Brown first landed an assembly seat in 2011, running on a ticket under Assemblyman Vince Polistina (R-2), who took an unsuccessful crack that year at the late Senator Jim Whelan. A non-ideological, Jon Bramick Republican pupil, Brown ultimately defined himself as a pro-union, anti-casinos in North Jersey opponent of a rapidly imploding Governor Chris Christie during the governor’s second term. Brown last year ran against Colin Bell for the senate seat vacated by the death of Senator Whelan. His 54-46% victory (a split ticket outcome as Democrats filled both assembly seats under him) underscored his ability to brand himself in unfavorable GOP weather and run what became one of the GOP’s few bight spots in 2017.

Senator Vin Gopal (D-11)

The former Monmouth County Democratic Committee chairman has ten years of political operating on his side, having led an organizing movement of Democrats in his home county that produced multiple local wins and laid the groundwork for his own ultimate 2017 elevation to the senate seat. The retirement of Senator Bob Gordon yesterday enabled Gopal to score the conference leader position in the caucus. Close to Senator Nick Scutari (D-22). The rising star made history last year as the first South Asian American in New Jersey history to score a state senate seat. He’s only 32. In an ongoing political fistfight between Governor Phil Murphy and Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3), bellwether watchers will pay attention to Gopal, who knocked off Senator Jen Beck last year by cleaving closer to the Building Trades (Sweeney) than the public sector union workers (Murphy) side of the divide.

Senator Troy Singleton (D-7)

No one among the new young class of senators has as much Trenton subterranean passage experience as Singleton, who cut his teeth in the backrooms as the chief of staff to former Speaker Joe Roberts before going to the Assembly in 2011. A strong ally of Senate President Steve Sweeney (D-3) who was all in on the senate prez’s ill-fated guv run, Singleton – employed by the Carpenters – also has the deepest touchstone of Building Trades labor support.

Declan O’Scanlon (R-13)

O’Scanlon started out running campaigns, specifically the early citywide efforts of Long Branch Mayor Adam Schneider, who swears by his organizing skills. He first grabbed an assembly seat in 2007, running in what was then the 12th District. He ran on a ticket with Jennifer Beck and Caroline Casagrande, and they won, defeating Team Ellen Karcher. He was redistricted into the 13th District and defeated Assemblywoman Amy Handlin in a backroom skirmish to come up with the senate seat last year following the announced retirement of Senator Joe Kyrillos (R-13). The closest on this list to what some may describe as an ideologue (he occupies an arguably safe GOP district), the conservative O’Scanlon spent a decade in the assembly as a budget expert who frequently engaged in debate with Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D-6).

Senator Joe Cryan (D-20)

The most seasoned political person in the class, former Union County Sheriff Cryan last year grabbed the senate seat vacated by retiring Senator Ray Lesniak (D-20). A former Assembly Majority Leader (under Speaker Sheila Oliver), Cryan is a former Democratic Party chairman who served as a key behind-the-scenes political influencer of Governor Jon Corzine. Just months into his term, the Union Twp. power broker faces some political turbulence, the after burn of his war with Senator Nick Scutari (D-22) for the Union County Democratic Party chairmanship. Cryan backed Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr instead of  victor Scutari and now must look ahead to 2021 with a turf-pawing Assemblyman Jamel Holley (D-20) in his immediate rearview. Holley was with Scutari. But it’s not like Cryan – son of the late former Essex County Sheriff and Democratic Party Chairman John Cryan – hasn’t faced political adversity before.

Kristin Corrado (R-40)

Having beaten Bergen County Republican Chairman Paul DiGaetano last year for the seat formerly occupied by Senator Kevin O’Toole, Corrado has gone on the offensive early. In the same week, she slapped at Treasurer Liz Muoio during Senate Judiciary Committee hearings, and upbraided Assemblyman Jay Webber (R-26) over his pay equity vote. Close to O’Toole, she came up in politics under the protective wing of Peter Murphy, the local party boss in Totowa, an organizing animal who got jammed up in his last life as chairman of the Passaic County Republican Party but found new life mentoring Corrado, a former county clerk. If there’s been a breakout member of the new class, it’s been Corrado. She exercised courtesy in the Tahesha Way case, and she worked with Sweeney to muzzle Democratic State Party Chairman John Currie, stymieing the chair’s efforts to succeed her as Passaic Clerk. O’Toole and Murphy loom large in the background there, of course, but in the words of one Trenton insider, “If you’re smart enough to have smart people around you, that makes you smart. If you listen to them that makes you brilliant. Just ask joe Girardi.”

Joe Lagana

He’s not the senator yet in LD38 but he will be following a special convention next Wednesday and a subsequent Thursday swearing-in ceremony. A lawyer and family man, he comes from a working class family. Blue collar. Following a stint as Paramus Council President, he got to the Trenton dance with the retirement of Assemblywoman Connie Wagner. He assumed the oath of office as an assemblyman in 2014. He’s employed at a big, powerful North Jersey law firm, Chasan, Leyner & Lamparello, P.C., but Lamps doesn’t engage the way, say, Sanzari does behind the scenes in state Senator Paul Sarlo (D-36) world. His specialty is insurance law, but is described as being pretty well-rounded, approachable and relatively ego-free. He did infuriate colleagues early in his career – through no fault of his own – as multiple bills ended up with his primary sponsor fingerprints on them as a consequence of leadership seeking to protect him in a battleground district. Lagana and his wife just had third daughter.