If the public gets to hear her at all, U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton was not expected to recite the age old Hudson County Democratic mantra: “All the way for column A” during her appearance in North Bergen this week.
This is because Clinton’s rival for the Democratic nomination for president U.S. Senator Baraka Obama has column A on the Feb. 5 primary ballot.
For good part of the last century, the chairman for the Democratic Party in Hudson County controlled the coveted column A slot on the ballot. The belief is that if the name of the candidate and his or her running mates appear in the first column on the ballot, they are likely to receive more votes.
Column A is also easier to find on the ballot than let’s say, column F, where Clinton’s name will appear.
While Clinton and Obama are two prominent names the Democratic primary, Denise Kucinich will appear in column B, John Edwards (vice president Democratic candidate in 2004) will appear in column C, Joe Biden, column D, Bill Richardson, column E.
Republican candidates for president start with Rudy Giulani in column G – who is seen by far as the frontrunner for the Republican nod not only in Hudson County, but in the state. Ron Paul has column H, Fred Thompson – who dropped out of the race this week – was supposed to have column I, John McCain, column J, Mike Huckabee, column K, and Mitt Romney on column L.
Republicans in Hudson County will likely support Giulani, partly because of the events on 9/11, but also because of his appeal to the private sector and Wall Street workers who live along the waterfront. Bayonne, although Democratic, has a sizable Republican population who will almost definitely support Giulani. West Hudson municipalities such as Kearny and Harrison will also likely support Giulani.
Despite the number of candidates running in the Democratic slate, the battle is between Obama and Clinton. Several political observers see Obama winning in Jersey City – despite the strong support for Clinton by Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop. Obama may even win in Hoboken.
Even the Fulop camp is divided. Many of those working on a Fulop referendum on dual office holding for next November’s ballot are wearing Obama buttons, despite the fact that Fulop has come out strongly for Clinton.
But most believe that Clinton will prevail overall and will beat Obama in Hudson County and the rest of the state.
One small error in last week’s column claimed Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski as originally supporting Obama.
“I was with nobody until about three weeks ago,” he said. “But I was leaning towards Hillary when I got a call from the county about a Clinton rally and I threw my support behind her.”
Turner weaved his magic again
Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner is truly a political magician, working to stitch together various elements of the Democratic Party in Hudson County so as to assure that Rep. Albio Sires gets the backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization in next June’s local primary.
Although originally one of the architect (and currently serves as chairman) of the Democrats for Hudson County (DFHC) – an organization created last year with the backing of state Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack to oppose the HCDO, Turner has been pulling rabbits out of hats and other tricks to make sure Sires – who also supported the Stack rebellion – receives the HCDO blessing.
While most of these maneuvers have been done behind the scenes, Turner’s most obvious feat of magic came late last year when he held a press conference to announce that West New York Mayor Sal Vega had made peace with Stack.
Stack and Sires very heated over Vega’s campaign rhetoric in Vega’s run against Stack for state Senate, both had previously said there would be no peace with Vega. Turner scheduled the press conference at a time when both Stack and Sires had other engagements and could not attend.
The latest bit of Turner magic seems designed to hint of a division between Stack and Sires, so as to make Sires more acceptable to the HCDO.
Stack and Sires were scheduled to hold separate fundraisers this week at the same time and in different places.
“This is political theater at its best,” said one Jersey City political observer. “Turner wants people to think Stack and Sires are moving away from each other so that the HCDO will back Sires.”
But the trick could backfire on Turner since word has come out that Stack has been secretly negotiating to back alternative freeholder candidates against the HCDO in the June primary.
“This won’t be an official ticket,” one Secaucus observer said. “But his people approached someone here to run against [Freeholder Thomas] Liggio, and I’ve heard Stack is going to quietly back other candidates elsewhere in the county.”
A Jersey City observer agreed Stack seems to be negotiating for candidates, running a few races quietly so Stack can get control of the board.
“To run a full ticket from house of representatives down, Stack would need more than $1 million,” this observer said. “All he needs to back each candidate is about $50,000 each. Stack can afford that.”
How the freeholder races stack up
While Bayonne Freeholder Doreen DiDominico has the backing of County Executive Tom DeGise and HCDO Chairman and Jersey City Mayor Jeramiah Healy, she is expected to face as many as three opponents with Stack backing one.
Stack has apparently been urging former Assemblyman Louis Manzo to run against incumbent Freeholder Bill O’Dea for one of the Jersey City Freeholder seats.
Stack is supposely looking to back John Watson against Jersey City Freeholder Jeff Dublin.
Naomi Velázquez and Sean O’Connor are expected to challenge Jersey City Freeholder Eliu Rivera
In Secaucus, Stack allegedly had reached out to several people in Secaucus to run against Freeholder Thomas Liggio.
To counter this, the HCDO is rumored seeking to run Alberto Cabrera in West New York Stack-backed Freeholder Jose Munoz.
Is Lo Re taking on a state job?
Meanwhile, in Bayonne, the November special election for mayor may also include an at-large council seat. Joseph Doria, who is commissioner of the Department of Community Affairs, may tap City Council President Vincent Lo Re to take a job as executive director of the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission to replace retiring Bob Ceberio.