It was just a week ago Friday when John DiMaio was introduced by an optimistic Jack Ciattarelli as the next Speaker of the New Jersey Assembly.

This was while Ciattarelli voted in Bridgewater, which is part of DiMaio's legislative district.

At the time, Ciattarelli envisioned Republicans gaining 13 seats in the Assembly and that would make DiMaio Speaker.
Of course, even Republicans knew that was not going to happen.

But they had no idea how terrible things would turn out.

Not only did Mikie Sherrill easily beat Ciattarelli, Republicans lost five seats, including one in a Morris County district that has not elected a Democrat in more than 50 years.

That loss was on top of a six-seat loss in the Assembly two years ago.

And that has DiMaio getting some heat, despite being reelected Thursday as Assembly Republican leader.

Assemblyman Jay Webber, who Ciattarelli touted as a possible state Supreme Court justice, is not pleased with the painful reality.

A baseball fan, Webber was quoted as saying that if a pitcher has a record of 0 wins and 11 losses, it may be time to take him out of the rotation.

Elaborating on social media, Webber said:

Assembly GOP Leadership loses 11 seats, or 1/3 of its members, in 2 years.

Then has the audacity to ask for re-election.
Then forces a quick vote in caucus, and, in the ultimate tell of their weakness, prohibits debate or discussion before the vote.
Yeah, these next 2 years should go much better for the GOP.
So, it doesn't sound like DiMaio is starting his new term with a great bit of confidence.

None of this is surprising considering the election outcome.

As the results sank in, Republicans around the state described them as heartbreaking and just plain awful.
One of the Democratic wins was in LD-21 where both GOP incumbents were defeated.

One of them, Michele Matsikoudis, acknowledged the defeat in a social media post. Here is part of what she said:

"Representing you all has been the honor of a lifetime, and I look forward to continuing to serve you with distinction for the remainder of my term. If you encounter any issues with state government (and we know there are many), know that my team and I remain ready to advocate on your behalf. And as we return to Trenton, you have my word that I will continue to fight just as hard to make this state more affordable, to address the overdevelopment that is plaguing our towns, and to provide greater mental health support for our students in need.

I still have my independent voice, and I look forward to making it heard loud and clear on your behalf over these next two months."

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