People connected with Rep. Albio Sires flatly refuted claims that any deal will be made with West New York Mayor Sal Vega.
While numerous reports suggest that the Hudson County Democratic Organization is seeking a way to heal the wounds from the recent Democratic civil war, people supporting Sires said no formal discussion are underway and predict that future healing may take a long time – but that relationships between Sires and Vega will not likely be healed.
Although Sires handed the reigns of West New York power over to Vega in 2006 when Sires vacated the mayoral seat for greener pastures in the House of Representatives, all has gone sour since.
The Vega camp claims Sires wanted to retain control over some aspects of municipal government. Sires people claim this was not the case and that Vega not only began removing Sires appointees from the city the moment Sires left, but actually put anti-Sires people into key city positions.
Sires severed his ties with the Hudson County Democratic Organization partly as a result of this conflict with Vega. Sires backed Stack against Vega for the state Democratic Primary, and apparently the negative rhetoric used in the campaign has left a bitter divide between the Vega and Sires.
While Sires people claim no peace gestures have been made, other reports claim that Buddy Demellier — who serves as town administrator in West New York, a county employee on loan to the city – has been looking for ways to repair the damage between the HCDO and the Sires camp.
Vega apparently continued to add salt to the political wounds when he shifted more former Sires’ municipal employees after the primary in what may have been retaliation for their support for the Sires-Stack coalition.
Sires’ people say they are committed to supporting Stack’s party, the Democrats for Hudson County (DFHC) through the November election, after which, it is unclear if the DFHC will continue under its own banner, although some believe Stack will use the party to seek to gain a controlling vote on the Freeholder board in the June 2008 primary.
Sires must also run in the same primary to seek the Democratic nomination for his 13th District House of Representatives seat and would be helped greatly if he could run under the HCDO banner.
In the 2006 primary, Sires won the nomination with the help of the HCDO against a strong challenge by Perth Amboy Mayor Joe Vas.
If Sires runs on the Stack ticket next year, Vas may run against him again with the HCDO support or Vas may support a candidate of HCDO choice against Sires.
This means Sires can count on the support of Union City, West New York, Weehawken, and perhaps Hoboken, but could see Jersey City, a portion of North Bergen as well as significant portions of Essex and Middlesex County aligned against him.
Whiles Sires could survive a 2008 primary battle; it would be in his best interest to make peace, despite his current status as a member of Stack’s party.
Stack, of course, has problems of his own as former employees claim they were released on political grounds. Union City settled one case last week and may face eight or more additional claims.
This only feeds the perception Vega’s campaign created in painting Stack as just another political insider.
One of the potential victims of the Sires-Vega war is West New York Commissioner Gerry Lange, who remained loyal to Vega despite pressure from the Sires camp to support Stack in the June Primary.
Lange swung to the Stack camp only when Vega dumped him from the ticket in the special election for freeholder – a seat Lange filled when Vega became mayor. Personal problems made Lange a liability to the Vega camp as well as turned Lange from friend to bitter foe. So any rumor of peace deal between Vega and Sires would leave Lange feeling bitter and betrayed.
Lange has been telling people he will return to the freeholder board and will become the next mayor of West New York, when he recalls Vega in 2008. Unfortunately, with the new law against duel job holding, Lange will have to choose which he wants: freeholder or mayor.
A slap in Stack’s face?
North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco tightened his control on the Schools of Technology last week and took a shot at Stack by supporting Stack-opponent Jose Falto to the board. Unfortunately, this may have caused some friction with Jersey City which had its own candidate in for the slot.
Some believe Sacco may have actually weakened his position since the board is due to expand from seven to nine members, with Bayonne and Jersey City. If Falto decides to make a deal with Stack or even some alternate faction, Sacco could lose control of the board.
About 100 people attended the Jimmy King Civic Association meeting at which Stack appeared to thank voters for their support of his ticket. Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop was on hand, as were Assemblyman Louis Manzo and former state Senate candidate Sean Connors. Freeholder Bill O’Dea also made an appearance, although there was a bit of child between him and Manzo. Jersey City mayoral aide Tom Moriarty also showed up.
Troyer to try again
Tom Troyer lost his bid for state Assembly in the 32nd District – his third election loss in six months. Last November, he lost his bid to become 2nd Ward Councilman. Then, in April, he lost his reelection bid to the Board of Education. But he said he was encouraged by the votes he received in the primary, saying he intended to run next April for Board of Education again.
Secaucus, however, tended to side with the HCDO against the Stack-backed ticket on which Troyer ran. This is because both political factions – those behind Mayor Dennis Elwell and those behind Councilman Michael Gonnelli – supported the Sacco ticket.
Presidential elections cross feud lines in Hudson
Sires made a wise move this week in his endorsement of Hillary Clinton for President. Hudson County like New Jersey appears to be divided between two leading Democratic candidates Clinton and Barak O’Bama.
Oddly enough, the division appears have little to do with local feuds since Sandra Cunningham and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco also support Clinton, while Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy supports O’Bama.
Healy along with Newark Mayor Cory Booker are co-state chairs for the O’Bama campaign, part of a state wide strategy to control the urban centers such as Jersey City, Newark, Camden and possibly Trenton. Unfortunately, Healy’s recent conviction may create a bit of a cloud for O’Bama’s campaign.