In theory, the 2019 political calendar is supposed to a be a relatively slow "off-year" in New Jersey politics, with the low-turnout Assembly races topping the ballot.

But there are no off-years in the turbulent era of Donald J. Trump. And the state political agenda is already packed with holdovers from Gov. Phil Murphy's bumpy first year. Here are 10 issues to track:

1. Legislative investigation

Hearings prompted by former campaign supporter Katie Brennan's allegations that she was sexually assaulted by a Murphy campaign operative in 2017 have so far yielded important new questions that will continue to dominate the new year.

Why was the alleged assailant, Al Alvarez, allowed to stay on the payroll for almost six months, instead of the nearly four months initially disclosed? Why did it take a newspaper exposé to prompt Alvarez to quit and not the clear urging of two senior Murphy officials, including Murphy's own chief of staff?

2. Legal weed

Candidate Murphy originally vowed to legalize marijuana in his first 100 days in office. He then produced a budget anticipating $80 million in revenue in this fiscal year, assuming the program would be up and running by Jan. 1, 2019.

Neither happened. Instead, the issue remains bogged down over details, especially on the proposed tax rate.

It would surprise no one in Trenton if lawmakers postpone a deal until the lame duck session after the November elections. Meanwhile, the threat of competition intensified recently when New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vowed to make legalization a priority.

3. Mikie Sherrill

The Montclair Democrat voted against Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, in a closed-door House Democratic caucus meeting in November. The vote, she said, was consistent with her campaign promise to oppose Pelosi and demand new leadership.

Sherrill also has said she will not vote for Pelosi when the 116th Congress convenes on Jan. 3. But will she maintain her steadfast opposition if Pelosi's name is advanced as the sole Democratic candidate for speaker? Or will Sherrill tiptoe through the political minefield by not voting, or abstaining by declaring herself "present?"

Such a move would allow Sherrill to claim she stayed true to her campaign pledge. But it would also help Pelosi by lowering the vote threshold Pelosi needs to reclaim the speaker's post.

4. Gateway

Northeast Democrats, including newcomers like Sherrill, have made funding for the delayed Gateway train tunnel project a top priority. Trump has blocked funding, reportedly in an attempt to use it as a bargaining chip for border wall funding.

Will this priority get ignored as the new House leadership begins a multi-front inquisition of the Trump administration and his empire? Will the drumbeat of impeachment drown out Gateway and other policy considerations? Or will it make Trump more receptive to a deal, in hopes of turning down the drumbeat?

5. Jon Bramnick's Trump problem

The Westfield Republican is clearly worried that the 26 members running for re-election at the top of the November ballot will be tarred as Trump Republicans (much the same way unpopular House Speaker Newt Gingrich became a public relations nightmare for Republican legislators in the late 1990s).

Bramnick has criticized Trump's divisive tone, but will he push further and actually condemn Trump's hard-line policies on issues like immigration and the unpopular plan to build a wall along the southwest border of the United States? Perhaps the findings of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into possible Russian collusion in the 2016 Trump campaign will make Bramnick's task easier.

6. $15 minimum wage

This is another Murphy priority that stalled amid negotiations with legislative leadership, although Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin, D-Middlesex, and Murphy expressed confidence that an agreement could be reached early in 2019. A sticking point is timing of the hikes for farm workers and other seasonal employees.

7. Democratic leadership fight

Although the state Democratic Party chairman's current term doesn't expire until January 2020, a fierce intra-party battle is already underway and taking shape as a proxy fight between Sweeney (and his south Jersey forces) and Murphy.

The current chairman, Passaic County's John Currie, a pro-Murphy stalwart, incurred the wrath of Sweeney when he sided with Murphy amid last year's budget squabble. Currie has already mobilized supporters among north and central counties, but he's facing a potentially formidable challenge from Essex County Democratic Chairman Leroy Jones, who has the backing of South Jersey counties and Middlesex. The outcome is far from assured, but the nasty, internecine warfare within the Democratic Party will shape the 2019 agenda.

8. Murphy's tax hike threat

Murphy set the state political world on fire last month by hinting that he may push for tax hikes in 2019. At first blush, it seems like a dead-on-arrival idea — Sweeney mocked it and Coughlin wants no mention of tax hikes, especially when all 80 Assembly seats are up for re-election.

And even some Democratic challengers in competitive districts have already declared their opposition to hikes.

But Murphy still has powerful political levers at his disposal, and his alliance with liberal grass-roots groups — fresh off their victory in staving off a controversial redistricting "power grab" — gives Murphy an outside chance. He is scheduled to release his next budget on March 5.

9. Cory Booker

There is little doubt that U.S. Sen. Cory Booker will run for president next year, despite vowing to weigh his options over the holidays. The liberal lane for president could get quickly crowded with like-minded candidates such as U.S. Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who announced Monday that she had formally launched an exploratory committee for a run.

Yet few can match Booker's ability to woo liberals and millennials with his aspirational "love and inclusion" rhetoric while prompting Wall Street and Silicon Valley capitalists to cut generous campaign checks. Booker has already been interviewing possible campaign managers and strategists, according to a published report.

10. Chris Christie's tell-all book

The Christie memoir, "Let Me Finish: Trump, the Kushners, Bannon, New Jersey, and the Power of In-Your-Face Politics," is expected to hit bookstores in late January. It's hard to see how an unpopular former governor and sixth-place finisher in the 2016 New Hampshire presidential primaries can produce a blockbuster bestseller. Yet there will be plenty of New Jersey politicos who will give it a cursory read — the quick flip through the index to see if their names are mentioned.

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