A judgeship for state Sen. Peter Barnes III would cause a minor shakeup in the state Legislature.
TRENTON -- A state Senate committee signed off Thursday on one of their colleagues becoming a judge in New Jersey's Superior Court system -- a move that, if finalized, would cause a minor shakeup in the state Legislature.
The house's judiciary committed voted unanimously, 13-0, to approve state Sen. Peter Barnes III for the judgeship in Middlesex County.
Barnes, 59, of Edison, must now be confirmed by the full Senate. A vote is set for Monday.
State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Middlesex) praised Barnes -- the son of former state Assemblyman Peter Barnes Jr. -- for having "great DNA and experience."
Middlesex Dems vie for likely Assembly vacancy
Smith also noted that Barnes III (also D-Middlesex) would need to step down from the Senate to serve on the bench.
"It's bittersweet," Smith said. "We are so happy to see you achieve your life's ambitions. But we are rally going to miss you here in the Senate."
"You're going to be a fantastic judge," Smith added.
The Middlesex County Democratic Organization is tasked with appointing a replacement odor Barnes in the Senate.
It's expected they'll pick Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan, a fellow Democrat who also represents Middlesex County's 18th legislative district.
But that would also leave a vacancy in the Assembly, which the county Democratic organization would also fill.
NJ Advance Media reported Thursday that four people have thrown their names into the running. Three are Edison Township Council members: Bob Diehl, Rob Karabinchak, and Sapana Shah. The fourth is Highland Park councilwoman Elsie Foster-Dublin.
Barnes is himself a former Edison councilman. He then served in the Assembly from 2007 to 2014, when was elected to the Senate.
Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, nominated Barnes to the Superior Court earlier this month.
Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.