Because Hudson County is so heavily Democratic, the Democratic candidates on the ballot for the upcoming Nov. 6 state Senate and county executive races are so heavily favored to beat the Republican opponents that the election has been fairly quiet. In fact, the bigger hubbub was this past June, when two Democratic groups in the county faced off to get the nomination.
At that time, the longstanding Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) clashed with candidates from the relatively new Democrats for Hudson County faction, deciding the nomination. The winning Democrats are facing Republicans in two weeks, although some are unopposed.
As of this past June, there were 133,660 registered Democrats in the county, and only 23,597 registered Republicans.
In northern Hudson County, there are several state legislative and county seats on the ballot.
The 31st District
The 31st District includes a large portion of Southern Jersey City and all of Bayonne.
Sandra Bolden Cunningham, the former wife of Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham, was selected this past week to fill the unexpired term of outgoing 31st Dist. state Sen. Joseph Doria until January. To win the seat outright, she is facing off Nov. 6 against Republican challenger Louis Vernotico.
Vernotico’s campaign acknowledges the uphill battle he faces as a Republican. His platform slogan would eliminate primaries. But Vernotico has played this David-and-Goliath role in the past, when he ran as an independent in 2003 and 2001 against State Sen. Nicholas Sacco in the 32nd District. Apparently, he moved to the 31st District some time after that.
“I have experience,” Sandra Cunningham said last month. “I was at my husband’s side when he was in Trenton.”
Running with each state Senate candidate are candidates for the two assembly Assembly seats in each district.
Cunningham’s runningmates for the state Assembly in the 31st district are Bayonne Councilman Anthony Chiappone and former Jersey City Council President L. Harvey Smith. They are running unopposed.
Uphill battle for challengers in the 32nd District
Moving further north in the county, the 32nd District includes the western slope of Jersey City Heights, and all of North Bergen, Secaucus, and Kearny.
North Bergen Mayor and incumbent 32nd Dist. Senator Nicholas Sacco faces off against Republican challenger John Pluchino.
Pluchino first ran against Sacco in 1997 and lost, then fought a tough primary against Secaucus Republican Frank McCormack in 2003, for the privilege of losing to Sacco in the 2003 general election.
A teacher at Hudson County Schools of Technology and a trustee at Hudson County Community College, Pluchino again fights the uphill battle to unseat Sacco. As North Bergen mayor since 1985 and state senator since 1994, Sacco has a powerful machine to assure him of re-election.
Sacco’s runningmates, incumbent Assembly members Vincent Prieto of Secaucus and Joan Quigley of Jersey City, face challenges from Republican candidates Edward O’Neill and Jacob Hahn.
Democrats unchallenged in the 33rd District
The 33rd district includes Guttenberg, Hoboken, Union City, West New York, Weehawken and a portion of Jersey City.
Union City Mayor and state Assemblyman Brian Stack is unchallenged in his bid to replace outgoing state Senator Bernard Kenny in the 33rd District.
He did, however, fight a very bitter battle in June against West New York Mayor Sal Vega for the seat. Both men were Assemblymen at the time, hoping to ascend to the Senate. Now, Vega will be leaving his Assembly seat as well, likely ceding it to one of Stack’s allies.
Stack’s runningmates for the state Assembly, Hoboken Councilman Ruben Ramos and former West New York Town Commissioner Caridad Rodriguez, are also running unopposed.
Several countywide races
Incumbent County Executive Tom DeGise, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Agha Khan and independent Herbert Shaw.
DeGise, who has served as county executive since 2002, survived a tough Democratic primary. He is seen as the frontrunner against the relative newcomer Khan, and against Shaw, who previously ran for the U.S. House of Representatives several times.
Democratic candidate Juan Perez, who narrowly defeated incumbent Joe Cassidy for Hudson County Sheriff in last June’s primary, raced off against Republican Gregory Rivera.
Democrat Barbara Netchert will face off against Republican David Solari for county clerk.
Weehawken-area freeholder fight
Jose Munoz of Weehawken, who won the Democratic nod in opposition to the Hudson County Democratic Organization in June, will face off against Republican Vasilios Scoullos of Guttenberg for the right to fill the unexpired term of Sal Vega in the 7th Freeholder District. Scoullos has previously run for City Council in Guttenberg.
Hoboken special election
Perhaps the most hotly contested election right now is the special election battle between Christopher Campos and Dawn Zimmer for Hoboken’s 4th Ward council seat, which will also be held Nov. 6. Only voters in Hoboken’s 4th Ward, the southwest part of town, can vote in that election. Campos led voting in the May election, but was forced into a June runoff against Zimmer, which he lost by eight votes.
After challenging the results in court, both candidates agreed to hold a special election.
That city will also see an initiative on the ballot to use tax money for more public space in town. To read a user-friendly guide on the confusing elections and politics in the county, click on “Help! These elections are driving me crazy!” at: http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=18415376&BRD=1291&PAG=461&dept_id=523584&rfi=8