With not a sign on the horizon of potential opposition to Democratic rule of Town Hall, Mayor Dennis Elwell made his re-election bid official with the naming of a Democratic ticket for November.
On the surface, Elwell seems to getting his own way in a party he rejoined in 1999 for his first successful bid for mayor, although rumors of strife within the current makeup of the Democrats on the council sent darkened clouds over the announcement on March 23 of the slate of candidates. Elwell will be seeking reelection as mayor, along with incumbent councilmen Christopher Marra and John Reilly. Elwell also unveiled the Democratic candidate, Joseph F. Kane, who will seek to unseat incumbent Independent councilman John Bueckner in the 2nd Ward. Kane is an electrician and foreman for a private company.
“We’ve kept our promises to the residents of Secaucus to keep taxes stable, to control development and preserve open space and to bring more services to town,” Elwell said. “We’ve proven what can be done when you put people before politics.”
“I’m proud to be joining the team that has held taxes steady two years in a row for the first time in 25 years,” Kane said in a prepared statement. “Under Mayor Elwell’s leadership, Secaucus has made great strides in two years. I want to help Mayor Elwell and the council continue that progress.”
Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto, the Democratic Party municipal chairman, praised the team’s ability in keeping taxes down and controlling development.
Insiders in the supposedly-united Democratic ranks had disputes over the legal settlements in the Secaucus Municipal Utilities lawsuit and reduced fire alarm fines, overshadowing the slate announcement.
Elwell is getting his way?
Elwell, who had been a symbol of opposition to the Democrats since his election to Town Council in 1992, ran as a Democrat in the 1999 primary against then incumbent Mayor Anthony Just – with the blessing of his long-time political enemy Assemblyman Anthony Impreveduto. His victory in November allegedly united the Democratic Party, although it reportedly alienated some previous followers and cast out of the Democratic mainstream former key players such as John Conners and Robert Campanella.
The first test of the Elwell-Impreveduto union came when the Democrats sought to fill the 2nd Ward council seat in early 2000 left vacant by Elwell’s election as mayor. Although rumors suggested Impreveduto would ask that the seat be filled by his own ally, former councilman James Clancy, Elwell got the pick and gave the seat to his own supporter, Bob Kickey – who was re-elected to the seat last November for a three-year term.
In announcing the new team for the November 2001 election, Elwell seems to have had his way again. While Clancy picked up petitions to run for council against Councilman John Bueckner in the 2nd Ward, Clancy was passed over in favor of relatively unknown Joseph F. Kane.
One inside source in the Democratic Party said Clancy was “unelectable,” and that Kane, while unknown, had a strong following in Immaculate Conception Church, where Kane is extremely active.
Several Democrats said Kane needs name recognition, but could be a powerful enough force in the 2nd Ward to pose a serious challenge to incumbent Bueckner.
Some political observers claim the Democrats deliberately picked a relatively weak candidate to face Bueckner in order to lure him into seeking reelection as councilman rather than taking the bolder step of challenging Elwell for mayor in November. Bueckner has yet to declare his intentions.
“It wouldn’t surprise me that they [the Democrats] would do something to keep me from running for mayor,” Bueckner said. “This would be just the kind of thing they would think up.”
Bueckner said he has until June to decide which seat he will run for.
“But I can say this, I will be running for some seat in November,” he said.
Kane stronger than people think?
Yet Democrats claim Kane is no “sacrificial lamb.”
“He may not have name recognition yet,” said Deputy Mayor John Reilly, “But Joe Kane is a power to be reckoned with.”
While the 50-year-old Kane’s name is hardly a household word even among members of the Immaculate Conception Church, he is extremely active, and many people recognize him from his volunteer work at the church, Meadowlands Hospital, the American Legion and the Knights of Columbus.
“People know him to see him,” Reilly said. “All we have to do is make people connect the name with the face.” Kane, who serves on the Board of Health, was among audience members at the Secaucus Housing Authority meeting last week, seemingly seeking to learn current issues among the senior citizens.
Elwell said Kane will be making the rounds to get a better idea of all the issues facing residents.
“I laid out what I thought he needed to win,” Elwell said. “Part of that is going out and meeting people before the primary, then continuing this throughout the summer.”