Hudson County Democrats are edging closer to political war again over control of Guttenberg looms.
State Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack appears to be lining up candidates to challenge the Hudson County Democratic Organization’s control of the freeholder board.
This effort would make up for Stack’s failed efforts last June to win three of the top county posts which includes county executive, county clerk and county sheriff.
If Stack chooses to back a ticket, he would need to win six of the nine seats in order to get a veto-proof majority on the freeholder board.
At stake, of course, is the ability to provide jobs through the Hudson County Vocational High School, which currently has two campuses, one in North Bergen and one in Jersey City.
Freeholders will soon decide whether or not to relocate both campuses to Secaucus (which would give Sacco even more power since this is still in his legislative district) or relocate the North Bergen campus to Jersey City out of Sacco’s reach.
Stack’s rumored moves come at a time when some claim Democrats had a peace treaty after nearly a year of bickering between Stack and his neighboring power broker, State Senator and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco.
Almost two years ago, Stack accused Sacco of conspiring with then state Senator and Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria and then state Senator Bernard Kenny to develop duel office holding legislation that would keep Stack from seeking to take Kenny’s state Senate seat. Although Sacco and others argued that the proposed legislation was part of a political dispute in Essex County, not Hudson County, Stack declared war in an effort to wrestle control of the Democratic Party out of the hands of the HCDO.
While Stack won overwhelmingly in the 33 rd District – which includes all of Union City, West New York, Hoboken, Guttenberg, Weehawken and a portion of Jersey City, his candidates flying the banner of Democrats for Hudson County (DFHC) failed to win in the 32nd District where Sacco pulled out his vote or in the 31st District where Sandra Cunningham (running against state Assemblyman Louis Manzo for state Senate) pulled out her vote. Sacco and Cunningham also produced victories for HCDO candidates for the county seats.
Despite desperate efforts to make peace by Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner (who along with Rep. Albio Sires supported Stack), the threat of war continued to smolder, and may have been sparked back to life by political uncertainty in the tiny town of Guttenberg.
With Guttenberg Mayor David Delle Donna facing federal charges, control of the town’s political power is up for grabs. Guttenberg shares a sewerage authority with North Bergen, a fire department and sends its children to North Bergen High School. If Stack gets control of Guttenberg, he could take away even more jobs from Sacco. Traditionally, North Bergen has always influenced significant leverage over Guttenberg. But Stack’s party, DFHC managed to take control of nine of the 12 committee seats. The committee has a huge say in who gets appointed mayor if Delle Donna is found guilty.
One of the provisions of the peace treaty, Stack was to dissolve his party and these nine committee seats would be run under the HCDO banner. This means that Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, the chairman of the HCDO and a Sacco ally, would control them instead. Stack apparently has balked at this demand. Even more important, Stack – despite his denial — is apparently backing a slate of board of education candidates under the banner “Putting Children First.” This slate includes Gonzalo Perez, Palcido Herendez and Margherita Batista
Members of the DFHC have apparently been talking to potential freeholder candidates around the county to put together a slate to oppose the HCDO candidates in the June Democratic Party.
Reports suggest that Stack has offered to back Mary Jane Desmond against incumbent Freeholder Doreen DiDomenico in Bayonne, former County Sheriff Joe Cassidy, John Watson and Sean Connors against incumbent Freeholders Bill O’Dea, Jeff Dublin and Eilu Rivera in Jersey City.
Cassidy, who barely lost his seat as sheriff in last June’s primary, is a powerful force in Jersey City, where he has a lot of popular support among senior citizens.
Watson, who has run for office previously, has strong connections especially with state Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith, who might be persuaded to support Watson as a run up to the Jersey City mayoral election next year. Smith has already declared his intention to unseat Healy in Jersey City. Although a powerful presence of his own in Jersey City, Dublin may be vulnerable because of the untimely death of Bobby Jackson – a political organizers in Jersey City. Connors has already proven his ability to run a tough race and could beat Rivera.
Stack is also apparently seeking a candidate in Hoboken to run against incumbent Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons and a candidate in Secaucus to run against Freeholder Tom Liggio.
Stack already has two allies on the Freeholder Board Tilo Rivas and Jose Munos, both of whom are considered safe if he continues to back them.
Stack has apparently whittled down his debt and is expected to have significant funds in his political war chest for the conflict. Freeholder races are cheap since they require nearly no TV advertising. A recall election is apparently also being geared up for this spring against Turner in Weehawken. But it is uncertain whether or not Stack will be behind it.