TRENTON, N.J. (AP) – His political career in ruins, his employment prospects uncertain, James E. McGreevey faces a long, difficult road once he steps down as New Jersey’s 51st governor.

When he walks away from Drumthwacket for the last time, the 47-year-old Democrat will be left to mend a marriage, take stock in himself and find work, salvaging what he can of a meteoric political career that flamed out, suddenly and spectacularly.

He’s up to the task, say those who know him. But it may take time, given the circumstances under which McGreevey fell from grace – resigning from office, coming out as gay, acknowledging he cheated on his wife, reportedly blackmailed by a former lover whom he had put on the state payroll.

“He’s going to land on his feet,” said former Woodbridge council member Robert Gawroniak, no fan of McGreevey’s. “He’s much too intelligent. And I’m sure there’s a place – somewhere, somehow, and I don’t know if it’s in public life – but he’ll find a place.”

From prosecutor to parole board member, then lobbyist, assembly member, mayor and state senator, McGreevey single-mindedly chased his political dream, all the while harboring his secret.

Not only had he cheated on his wife, he had installed his alleged lover – 35-year-old Golan Cipel, an Israeli poet – in a $110,000-a-year job overseeing anti-terrorism efforts for the state of New Jersey.

Recovering won’t be easy.

Finding work may be hard, too. Typically, ex-governors get hired as “rainmakers” – lending their name, prestige and contacts – with law firms or corporations.

But they may be reluctant to do so because of his public admission that he had, essentially, lived a double life for much of his life. One prominent New Jersey lawyer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that, for now, no law firm would hire McGreevey.

Will he ever work in politics again?

“Certainly, he would not be that attractive a commodity in the political world, but there’s no ‘ever’ in America,” said Stephen Hess, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

“That’s the amazing thing about our society. The folks from Watergate found other careers that ranged from writing best-selling novels to being prison reformers. Of course, the time isn’t now, but there’s a whole world that revolves around advocacy for gay issues, for which he could become a speaker,” said Hess.

When asked if McGreevey might find work in that field, a spokesman for gay rights advocacy group Human Rights Campaign didn’t directly answer.

“Right now, the governor needs to work through the difficult period he’s having and come to a place of understanding with his family,” said spokesperson Steven Fisher.

With a master’s degree in education, a law degree and a wealth of political experience, McGreevey is a natural for public policy work of some type, said state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, a political ally.

“He loves public policy. My guess is that he’ll do something in that area – executive director of some foundation dealing with public policy in health care, economic growth, environmental protection, stem cell research, any of the issues he’s worked on successfully,” said Lesniak, D-Union.

On a personal level, McGreevey faces heavy burdens, too. First off, he needs a place to live. He sold his $199,900 condominium in Iselin last September, and he can’t live at the governor’s mansion anymore.

More importantly, he and wife must either save their 4-year-old marriage or seek a divorce. And there’s 2-year-old daughter, Jacqueline, to provide for.

Dina McGreevey, who stood by his side with a half-smile on her face when he made his resignation speech, has yet to speak publicly about his revelation.

Unclear is whether she knew he was gay before that. She has declined interview requests made through the governor’s office.

But saving the marriage is a long shot, according to Amity Pierce Buxton, executive director of the Straight Spouse Network, an advocacy group that provides counseling to the straight wives and husbands of gays and lesbians.

When one spouse comes out as gay, about one-third of couples break up immediately, another third stay together for a couple of years to sort things out and the rest try to make it work, Buxton said.

Typically, a heterosexual spouse withdraws from family and friends after learning about his or her mate’s homosexuality.

“They feel rejected sexually and their own identity is up for grabs because their belief system is upside down. Marriage isn’t what they thought it was. Sexuality isn’t what they thought it was,” Buxton said.

As for McGreevey, he, too, will likely re-examine his life.

“Having been through what he’s been through, the governor clearly wants to live his life in a new way, as a whole person,” said Curtis Bashaw, executive director of the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, a close confidante.

A former educator who taught McGreevey in the early 1970s at St. Joseph’s High School in Metuchen said the best thing McGreevey could do now is to break his political ties and take time off to reflect.

David Bixel, 56, of Edison, remembers McGreevey as a bundle of energy who would raise his hand to ask questions even before everyone was seated.

His advice to his former student: Go on a retreat, and begin making amends with the people he has hurt.

Hess said the memory of McGreevey’s scandal will fade.

“It’s amazing what people forget. You go back through past scandals and think ‘Didn’t he used to be…’ or ‘Wasn’t there something attached to his name?’ or ‘Wasn’t he the fellow in South Carolina who did X, Y and Z?’

For the time being, McGreevey is focused on his transition and on his family, according to Bashaw.

“He has an eye to the future and looks at it as an opportunity to take a deep breath and see what way his talents will be most useful. I doubt he’ll go hungry,” Bashaw said.