Make no bones about it, Gerry McCann is running for freeholder in the 4th district. Although barred from running in the Democratic primary on June 4, he will be running in the general election on Nov. 5 as an Independent.
“I’ve collected 400 petition signatures,” McCann said. “All I need is 100. I’ll be filing them on Monday.”
McCann said there is no legal impediment to keep him from the November ballot, even though it is likely to be challenged by the Democratic organization, which succeeded in blocking his attempt to run for the same seat in the Democrat primary.
McCann, the former mayor of Jersey City, was forced to resign as mayor after being convicted of fraud charges unrelated to his office in early 1990s. Courts have since ruled that he can run for any office other than mayor of Jersey City. His attempt to run for a seat as freeholder in the primary was blocked when the Democratic County Organization managed to invalidate enough signatures on his petitions to drop him from the primary ballot.
A mistake in printing, however, had his name on the sample ballot sent to many homes in Jersey City Heights. This was a surprise to McCann.
But he made it clear that there is no mistake about his intention to run in the general election, and that any challenge by his future opponents would be a waste of time.
“There is no basis for a challenge,” he said. “The law is pretty clear. I could not run in the general election for the same seat if I ran and lost in the primary. But there is a difference between trying to run for a seat and running for it.”
McCann said that if the Democrats want to challenge his petitions, it could only help in his election efforts.
“If they want to keep my name in the paper, then they’ll keep challenging me,” he said. “I think they should concentrate on getting their own candidates elected instead of worrying about me. The more they attack me, the more publicity I get – publicity I don’t have to pay for.”
In the primary, McCann would have faced-off against two Latino candidates in a district that is largely non-Latino. He seemed well positioned to take advantage of the split Latino vote and get enough of the other registered voters to win.
For the general election, nothing has changed. Both Democratic candidates in the primary are Latino, and so is the Republican candidate. If incumbent freeholder Nidia Davila-Colon manages to beat challenger Eliu Rivera in the primary, McCann is in an even better position because the Republican candidate for the 2nd Freeholder District is named Pierto Davila.
“I would be running against two people with the same last name,” McCann said.
McCann also expects the resignation of Former County Executive Robert Janiszewski to have an impact on this race.
“My sources tell me Janiszewski will be testifying soon,” he said. “That can’t help but have an impact on anyone who has served during his time in office.”
Hartnett may have a lot to lose
Despite rumors claiming he is negotiating to leave office early if he loses the June 4 primary, County Executive Bernard Hartnett said he would stay until end of his term next November. Hartnett is running against Tom DeGise in the Democratic primary.
“I have things I need to get done whether I win the primary or not,” he said.
Hartnett said he has received a report from a committee he set up last December with a series of suggestions for improving the operations of county government. This blue ribbon panel has listed numerous recommendations that include boosting the county’s professional staff to reduce reliance on no-bid professional service contracts, currently in use. He also said he would seek to get approval from the freeholders to seek proposals for those professional service contracts the county maintains.
“The way things have been over the last few years, the county has given contracts to firms without seeking out other firms that might provide the same services more economically,” Hartnett said.
If Hartnett does not deal for an early withdrawal, he could put his own legal firm at risk of losing millions of dollars in contracts in Hudson County, should the other side decide to become vindictive.
“We’re talking about his retirement and everything else,” this source said.
Hartnett, however, said he is committed to the job he took on, even if it’s only for the rest of this year.
“When I came on, I said I would start reforms, and that’s what I intend to do,” he said.