BY ALI WINSTON
Star-Ledger Staff

Before she was sworn in to the state Senate yesterday, Teresa Ruiz wanted to make a pit stop to pay homage to one of her predecessors.

On the second floor of the Statehouse in Trenton, outside the majority caucus room, she stopped at a 1996 class picture of the state Senate. She pointed to the only minority woman in the photo, a smiling Wynona Lipman.

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