WHO’S UP

Phil Murphy

The sports betting ruling gives the New Jersey Governor a chance to put New Jersey in a beneficial position from an estimated 8 percent tax on bets at N.J. casinos and race tracks and a 12-percent tax online, or conceivably $10 billion annually in sports betting revenue.

Alyssa Dawson

The former Kim Guadagno staffer became the youngest public official in New Jersey when she assumed the oath of office for a council seat in Westwood this week. Dawson is 24.

Ray Lesniak

Long the driver the legislative driver for sports betting, the retired lion of the state senate could do an endzone dance in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling earlier this week.

Bill Pascrell III

The Princeton Public Affairs operator had back to back wins this month: Andre Sayegh winning the Paterson mayoralty, and the Supreme Court ruling on the unconstitutionality of the feds disallowing sports betting in certain states, including New Jersey, where BP3 has been a longstanding sports betting legalization proponent.

Jeff Van Drew

While Republicans beat one another to a pulp in CD2, the serene LD1 senator commands eight out of eight organization lines and appears poised for the general election.

WHO’S DOWN

Richard Leonard

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office arrested the Roseland Councilman and charged him with conspiracy to commit official misconduct. According to the prosecutor’s office, Leonard conspired to vote in favor of a redevelopment plan for property near his own in exchange for a right-of-way for his property.

Bob Menendez

A Rutgers-Eagleton Poll this week found that 22% of adults have a favorable opinion of the senior U.S. Senator, up for reelection this year, and presumably up against a multi-millionaire self-funder in the general election, compared to 35% with an unfavorable view.

Bob Hugin

It’s not all rosy for the former big pharma executive looking to challenge Menendez in November. President Donald J. Trump’s campaign to reduce prescription drug prices contrasts with Celgene’s record under Hugin, according to this NJ.com report.

Mountainside

A scandal at the police department revealed in a lawsuit embarrassed – and that’s putting it delicately – the Union County town.

Hirsh Singh

A late filing with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) gave the Republican opponents (and the allies of presumptive CD2 Democratic nominee state Senator Jeff Van Drew [D-1] view twitter) of the CD2 candidate ample opportunity to tee off on the perceived frontrunner, most notably former Assemblyman Sam Fiocchi. It devolved from there.

Stephanie Lawson-Muhammad

During a traffic stop initiated by a South Orange Police Officer, the local School Board member threatened to “call Sheena…and your skinhead cop chief, too,” referencing South Orange Village President Sheena Collum and village Police Chief Kyle Kroll.