this year's State Legislative races are already shaping up to be a wild ride in the latest only in Jersey politics move 87 year old Republican senator Sam Thompson announced an unexpected party switch to run as a Democrat after party leaders said they wouldn't support him in a primary couple that with an ongoing list of lawmakers opting to retire at the end of the term and analysts predict this new class of legislators is going to look a whole lot different senior political correspondent David Cruz has the story I don't really see a difference that is to say we all meet in a room we all express our opinions and so on and that's what takes place if it were that simple you wouldn't have any real primaries and lawmakers would serve well into their 80s oh wait a minute that's actually usually the way it goes in New Jersey where the party line gives the parties the power to bestow the favorite ballot status on their favorite candidates Senator Sam Thompson is no longer in that category so he's been sent packing by his party and found refuge in the Democratic caucus I had almost for sure if the Democrats are concerned I can almost assure them I will not vote the way Democrats want 100 of the time it's going to be complicated but with all of the state legislature up for election this year Sam Thompson's party hop is just the latest sign that 2023 is going to be a bumpy ride for both parties with the face of the chambers expected to be altered by more than a dozen retirements and there's still more than a month before the filing deadline so who knows what political machinations are yet to come when we look at the legislature this time next year here we're going to see A legislature that is at least 10 percent different and that's before we even get elect to Election Day first of all we still have farther to go there are legislators who may not get re-elected who you know we may still have more legislature legislators who announced that they're not running between now and the filing deadline in March the reasons for all the turnover vary redistricting has made some districts competitive mostly for Republicans some lawmakers also admit that the gig just ain't what it used to be what with the schlepping to Trend and the long days of waiting around for leadership to tell you how to vote and the inexorable March of time certain exceptions notwithstanding we also are all going to face new districts so I think that has some people on the D side anyway a little scared um it's a you know it's a midterm election so the legislature will be at the top of the ticket so I think that that has something to do with it some will have decisions thrust upon them will Senators Mia Gill and Dick Cody Essex County allies really face off against one another in a primary now that redistricting has mushed their districts together the walls of a county chair look uh they will there will be a process uh that we we go to go through to decide uh where we land in terms of um who is uh who is uh part and parcel of the organizational organizations uh Team for the state GOP the danger is that some of the new blood may be a Deeper Shade of red than moderate New Jersey is ready for who said something about the woes of a party chair the primary voters are going to decide who the candidates are and then come June we've got to make sure the people in New Jersey know that Republicans want to make the place more affordable safer better education for the kids and we want to work together with everybody to solve the problems which sounds great but may not be the kind of tune you're going to hear once the primaries settle the combatants and both parties prepare for what will certainly be one of the most eventful election seasons in recent memory I'm David Cruz NJ Spotlight news [Music]