But these times are different.
While his father served in the majority party, Lance is the Senate minority leader. He presides over a GOP Senate caucus caught in a swirl of strong currents as a dominant Democratic Party pushes into new areas and a weak Republican Party looks for a comeback.
With the 120-member Legislature wrapping up the state budget last month, the political season is under way. And with every legislative seat up for grabs, Lance becomes one of the state's most important political figures as Republicans try to gain a share of power in Trenton.
"We are at a money disadvantage almost exclusively due to the fact that we are the party out of power. . . . Having said that, I think the issues are on our side. The principal issues in this state are fiscal responsibility and ethical integrity," he said.
As the Democrats' power has grown, so have the conservative voices in Lance's own party, which argue that the GOP must run hard to the right to give voters an alternative. That's a tough fit for Lance, who is a fiscal conservative but a moderate on social issues and a favorite of environmentalists.
With his leadership post comes the burden of winning a majority or at least keeping the 18 seats Republicans hold in the 40-member Senate. Democrats control the governor's mansion and the Assembly by a 50-to-30 margin. A shift of only three Senate seats could turn the minority leader into the Senate president.
Lance's critics say he is too gracious and polite to beat up the Democrats.
They point to state Sen. Thomas H. Kean Jr. as a likely replacement because Kean harangued his way through last year's U.S. Senate race against Democratic winner Robert Menendez. Kean declined to comment on whether he wants to unseat Lance. Instead, he said Lance is "one of the most principled individuals in Trenton."
