Andrews: ‘Clean house’

Rep. Robert Andrews (D-N.J.) said yesterday that his No. 1 goal, if elected governor of New Jersey, would be to clean house in the wake of former Gov. Jim McGreevey’s (D) sex scandal. Andrews has not declared his candidacy but said he is “very serious” about getting in the race, which is also likely to include Sen. Jon Corzine (D).

Andrews said his decision would be based on whether he would have “the freedom to govern the way I think New Jersey needs to be governed.”

The Democratic leaders who run New Jersey’s 21 counties will play an instrumental role in determining who gets the nomination.

“I would need to win this office on the basis of my program for the public and not on the basis of the demands of any small group of party leaders,” Andrews said.

New Gov. Richard Codey (D) was sworn in Monday, after McGreevey’s resignation.

Codey’s term will run through 2005; he has not said whether he will run for a full term.