Although they patched up their differences in order to run together on the same ticket in November, Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell and his long time associate and current 2nd Ward councilman,Robert Kickey, seem on a path destined to lead to political divorce.
The strain between the two men has been growing more evident over the last two years. At Elwell’s urging, the Democratic party agreed to name Kickey as Elwell’s replacement after Elwell won election to mayor in 1999. From then on, it has been all downhill.
Divorces of this kind are common in politics. Yes, Hudson County has had numerous successful political marriages over the years, old friends evolving together into higher office: Donald Scarinci and Congressman Bob Menendez, Paul Byrne and former County Executive Robert Janiszewski. Yet unseen for the most part are the political marriages that fail. These are more common as former friends find themselves at odds.
The Elwell-Kickey breakup is kinder than many, such as the clash between Gerry McCann and Anthony Cucci.
The concept of political divorce is hardly new. King Hall, in William Shakespeare’s historic series of plays, highlighted the concern when he was forced to reject is dearest childhood friend, Falstaff, in order to mature into someone who could later become king. Elwell – in order to advance to the next step politically – finds that he must shed some of his previous priorities.
It is an age-old concept of how to divide patronage. Do you grab whatever you can for your loyal supporters, or spread the wealth in order to win new supporters?
When Elwell served as an independent candidate in the 2nd Ward, he could afford to horde the few jobs and promises for promotions that came his way, distributing these to his closest supporters. After all, he only had to satisfy the demands of those in his war. Each piece of patronage was hard-fought. But as mayor, Elwell is forced to adopt a more generous philosophy, facing demands from new supporters townwide. In order to bolster his position, Elwell has also sought out new and powerful friends beyond Secaucus such as Janiszewski, state Senator and North Bergen Mayor ,Nicholas Sacco, former Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia, Congressman Steve Rothman, and U.S. Senator Robert Torricelli. In promising to deliver votes to these new friends, Elwell has brought home millions of dollars and grants and provided county jobs to numerous Secaucus residents.
Hobnobbing with the politically rich and famous, however, has left previous friendships like Kickey’s at risk. Core supporters of the past feel neglected or jealous at the attention their leader is spending with people in the upper crust of politics. The need to circulate in higher and higher circles is nothing new. While former Mayor Paul Amico often expressed publicly his independence from Hudson County, he also had a parking place in the Hudson County freeholders’ garage. Former West New York Mayor Anthony DeFino did Amico one better. As a large man, DeFino needed a special chair. Rather than transport one to and from the freeholder meetings, he had one kept there. A Smithsonian item perhaps?
Some former political supporter of Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham are hoping that divorce is in the cards for several of his closest advisors such as Jay Booth and Matty Byrnes, key people some believe have led the good mayor away from the path to wisdom.
How it really happened
Bernard Hartnett disputed a small piece of information from the April 21 edition of Between the Lines. He said he never served as Tom DeGise’s treasurer, but instead somehow got elected as chairman to DeGise’s exploratory committee for the Jersey City mayor in anticipation of the 2001 election.
“I didn’t know Glenn Cunningham was running for the office or I would never have considered it,” Hartnett said. “Glenn and I go back many years together.”
Hartnett’s support for DeGise was a temporary flirtation, and they soon parted company over an apparent order from former Mayor Bret Schundler to not renew a Jersey City development contract for Hartnett’s legal firm.
“Schundler asked me to support him for governor, and although I gave him support for mayor once, I told him I was a Democrat and couldn’t support him for governor.”
Hartnett said he had reached out to DeGise – then Jersey City Council President – and Councilman Bill Gauhan, but did not get a favorable response.
Hoboken election proves a point
Mayor Dave Roberts is gloating. He said nasty tactics against his candidates for school board backfired, and he said he’s glad.
“Former [Anthony] Russo people tried to trip me up by using the school board,” he said. “They thought they could weaken my administration. But our election victory proved them wrong, despite their nastiness.”
Roberts said that a flood of flyers and unsigned “scurrilous” letters appeared just before the election in an effort to make his candidates look bad. Some of these were distributed in the town’s senior citizen buildings.
“They tried to tarnish us, but it only made our victory more pleasing,” Roberts said.
In an article in the Reporter last week, Roberts challenged, “If you have something to say, sign your name to it and stand by your principles.”
O’Dea scores big in JC
Richard McCormack, a long-time political worker in the 2nd Freeholder District, said his Freeholder William O’Dea drew 2,500 petition signatures, possibly the highest total ever. O’Dea faces Peter Brennen in the June 4 Democratic primary. Brennen, a Republican when he announced his challenge for the Democratic seat, got into a rhetoric dispute with O’Dea’s supporter, Jersey City Mayor Cunningham, at a press conference at the Greenville Yards. Brennen and Cunningham both sought to take credit for an agreement. Desiree Ramos, representative for Congressman Menendez’ office, said Menendez would be willing to work with Brennen (whom he supports in the election against O’Dea).
“Will he be willing to work with the mayor, too?” asked Cunningham, who is backing O’Dea and other candidates against Menendez.
“Oh sure,” Ramos said. “He’ll be willing to work with anybody.” – Al Sullivan