Hmmm, What Would Tony Soprano Do?

The biggest question among New Jersey Democrats is: Should Jon Corzine win the governor's race this November, how will his rivalry with current Acting Governor and Senate President Richard Codey stir up state politics? At issue is Mr. Corzine's U.S. Senate seat. There's no doubt that his seat will remain in Democratic hands -- he'll return to the Senate if he loses. If he wins, he'll appoint his own successor, and his rival, Mr. Codey, says he wants the job.

Tension between the two dates to this year's primary campaign. Mr. Corzine used his fortune to win over party bosses and block Mr. Codey from seeking the gubernatorial nomination. Mr. Codey took a dive rather than get bloodied in a fight he couldn't win. With Mr. Corzine leading Republican Doug Forrester by 10 points, Democrats who backed Mr. Corzine are now salivating for his Senate gig.

It's hard to imagine Mr. Codey returning to the state senate as Mr. Corzine's legislative majordomo. That's not a great job for a man who's now had a taste of heading two branches of government simultaneously, and who clearly loves the attention and influence the dual role brings him. Mr. Corzine is rightly worried: Mr. Codey is currently the state's most popular politician and could cause problems for a Gov. Corzine if not kept happy. Should Mr. Codey be appointed to the U.S. Senate, look for a short-lived honeymoon as he uses the new position to pursue his own gubernatorial ambitions.

Should Mr. Forrester win the governorship instead, Mr. Codey then becomes the strongest player of his party, returning to the state senate as a popular former governor and a natural candidate for governor in 2009. Either way, the Corzine-Codey story isn't over.