Democrats are spending money in four districts where they have a reasonable shot at picking up seats: against GOP incumbents Nicholas Asselta in district 1, Sonny McCullough in district 2, and Gerald Cardinale in the 39th; for open seats in District 8 (where Republican-turned-Democrat Assemblyman Francis Bodine faces Burlington County Clerk Philip Haines for the seat being vacated by retiring Senator Martha Bark.

Mildred Barry Hughes, a Democrat from Union County, was the first woman to win election to the New Jersey State Senate when she won in 1965. She previously served three terms in the State Assembly.: Rutgers University Libraries PhotoIt's a minor correction at best: speaking at a meeting of Women Advocating for Good Governmen (WAGG), a division of the Women's Political Caucus of New Jersey, State Senator Diane Allen she was the eighth woman in New Jersey history to be sworn in to the State Senate. "It still upsets me," Allen said. "Hundreds of years -- eight women."

But actually, Allen was the ninth woman to serve in the State Senate. She was preceeded by Mildred Barry Hughes (D-Union) in 1966, Jerry English (D-Union) in 1971, Wynona Lipman (D-Essex) in 1972, Anne Martindell (D-Mercer) and Alene Ammond (D-Camden) in 1974, Leanna Brown (R-Morris) and Catherine Costa (D-Burlington) in 1984, and Martha Bark (R-Burlington) in 1997. Allen and Shirley Turner (D-Mercer) took office in January 1998.

Gloucester Township Councilwoman Shelley Lovett will challenge freshman State Senator Frederick Madden in the 4th district.  Republicans picked Lovett to replace John Jankowski, who dropped his Senate bid last June.  Lovett had been seeking an Assembly seat; she'll be replaced on the ballot by Agnes Gardiner.

Democrat Fred Madden unseated an incumbent Republican State Senator four years ago by just 64 votes after the Camden County Democrats spend nearly $5 million on his campaign.

Now, Madden is unopposed in his bid for re-election to a second term. His Republican opponent, former Gloucester Township GOP Chairman John Jankowski, dropped out of the race on June 24, and so far, no new challenger her emerged.