a long time South Jersey political boss is Making Waves this week George Norcross the most powerful unelected Democrat in New Jersey says he's stepping back from politics after a disastrous 2021 election season that tossed his ally former Senate President Steve Sweeney to the sidelines Norcross says his nearly three-decade run of the Party Machine is over or is it senior political correspondent David Cruz reports we probably should have seen it coming and some probably did but South Jersey power broker George Norcross was already losing a step when Amy Kennedy beat Bridget Harrison who was backed by Norcross in a Democratic Congressional Primary in 2020. but most people point to this the results of Tuesday's elections are in all votes have been fairly counted and I of course accept the results 2021 Senate President Steve Sweeney Boyhood friend and political partner conceding to Maga Jason trucker Ed Durr Steve Sweeney had the sort of unilateral veto power to block powerful judgeships and prosecutors and legislation that would all benefit the South gone and not just the South but his Affiliates that he collaborated with in Essex County and for a time in even in Bergen County all those uh political Affiliates of of the Norcross South Jersey Machine Lost their great pillar so when Norcross told Politico this week that he was stepping back from political involvement the political world paid attention Norcross doesn't hold any public office he's more the guy behind the guy behind the guy he is an enormous insurance broker who does a lot of public insurance work for towns and counties and entities public entities across the state and he got those contracts and kept those contracts by virtue of the people that he helped put in office during the Christie days Norcross and Sweeney and the governor swung their axes all over Jersey pension benefit reforms here new medical schools there tenure reform there new superintendent and new police force over here often would Camden as the beneficiary but Norcross has plenty of detractors in the city like long-time resident Keith Benson president of the Camden teachers union who says Norcross his interests in the city weren't all altruistic I'm more of the other belief as a regular person not necessarily with a Democratic or political structure down here that your cause has been immensely immensely problematic um to the lives of regular folks here and um and what cam looks like today a lot of what's transpired over the past decade or more here has benefited Norcross and his Affiliated companies especially some state-funded tax breaks just how much and whether that all happened within the law is now the subject of a formal investigation by the state attorney general Norcross has denied that he benefited illegally but is the timing related this follows in close proximity to these subpoenas is there significance to him making this statement saying to prosecutors I'm getting out you don't have to worry about me anymore is there significance there and that's a possibility but that's for the future right now George Norcross Florida resident says let the Next Generation take over the now diminished South Jersey party what that really means really time will tell but you know I don't you know I don't necessarily trust that you know either way um but even still what was look like because in a lot of ways uh the damage here has already been done Norcross wouldn't comment Beyond his statements to Politico while Sweeney praised his friend for making the party stronger but stepping back remains in the eye of the beholder here's an invite for a fundraiser Norcross hosted for his brother the congressman on the same week he said he's stepping back from politics in New Jersey old habits die hard I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news