38
NEW JERSEY COPS ■ FEBRUARY 2015
LEGISLATIVE SPOTLIGHT:
State Senator
Linda Greenstein
‘I love the people part’
Relationships drive Greenstein’s relentless public service efforts
■ BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Nearly 24 years ago, Linda Greenstein
saw an advertisement in the local newspaper for a school board opening. She
thought this might be a way to quench her
thirst for community service and considered it might be a grander version of
joining the PTA.
Greenstein went down to the local
school board, filed the application and
came home and promptly conceded to her
Senator Linda R. Greenstein
Democrat-14th District
Assistant Senate Majority Leader
Legislative Service:
•
•
Senate 2010-present
General Assembly 2000-10
Committee Service:
•
Law and Public Safety, Chair
•
Environment and Energy, ViceChair
•
Budget and Appropriations
•
New Jersey Legislative Select
Committee on Investigation
•
Joint Committee on the Public
Schools
•
New Jersey Division of
Fire Safety
husband, Michael: “This might have been
a mistake. I don’t know how to do this.” But
she went through with it, made it past a
process that whittled the field from six to
three, then prevailed by 50 votes to be
elected to the West Windsor-Plainsboro
Regional School Board.
Since then, Greenstein has won some 11
elections, including defeating Republican
incumbents in 1999 to earn a spot in the
New Jersey State Assembly, and she has
served since then in the Legislature, having
been elected to the Senate in 2010. She has
ascended to lofty leadership positions such
as Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Assistant Senate Majority Leader and, most
recently, chairman of the Senate Committee on Law and Public Safety.
But, really, it was that first election, and
the advice she received from a
Philadelphia ward leader, that has made all
the difference
“I called a local political leader we knew
in Philly after I had thrown my hat in the
ring to run for school board,” Senator
Greenstein began. “She said, ‘I’m going to
tell you three things you can do to win the
election: First, figure out who is voting in
the election and target those voters. Next,
go door-to-door and visit those people.
Third, write them notes about the things
you talked about and keep up the personal
relationships.’”
Personal relationships and the opportunity to make a positive impact on people
one person at a time seem to fuel Green-
stein’s relentless drive to serve, as well as
her kinship to first responders. Perhaps
that is why she moved from a flourishing
legal career that included working as a
prosecutor in both Philadelphia and Trenton to become a full-time public servant.
Full-time is the only way Senator Greenstein wants to do this job, and she believes
it’s the best way for legislators to be successful and truly serve their constituents.
Full-time is the way she has been able to
accomplish all that she has accomplished
and realize what she likes most about
being a New Jersey legislator.
“The part I love about it is the diversity
of issues you get to work on and the number of people you can impact every single
day,” Senator Greenstein explained. “You
are dealing with every type of issue
because it’s something a constituent is asking about. Whether it’s a bill I’m working on
or a meeting I’m attending, I love the people part of it and I enjoy working on complex issues.”
Greenstein’s commitment and enthusiasm are off the chart