While no candidate has yet emerged to challenge Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez for re-election, many see his election next year as a key to whether or not there will be a new political war in Hudson County.
Perez has become a political touchstone for some politicos like state Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack, who would like to see Perez booted. Stack backed former Sheriff Joe Cassidy in 2006, and would likely throw his support behind an alternative candidate against Perez if such a candidate emerges.
Stack was recently quoted as saying that the old Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) no longer rules the political roost. If Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who is currently chairman of the HCDO, puts up a tough fight to preserve Perez, this might usher in a full-scale political war in 2011 over control of other county seats such as the Hudson County executive’s.
Stack’s stature in Hudson County rose greatly with the massive upheaval of the state-level Democratic leadership, which swept out many of the old guard.
Stack was the first state legislator outside of “The South Six” (controlled by political boss George Norcross) to support Sen. Steve Sweeney over Richard Codey for state Senate president. His move started a landslide of support that ended Codey’s reign as top dog. Since the HCDO had close ties to Codey and outgoing Gov. Jon Corzine, its power on the state level has been diminished.
As a reward for this early support, Stack can expect Sweeney to award him a powerful chairmanship within the state Senate.
This is a huge shift in political power in Hudson County, forcing many who formerly went through the HCDO to seek out Stack instead.
Sweeney has the support of many of the state’s unions, allowing Stack to steal the HCDO’s thunder, since in the past the HCDO was always seen as the political body that could call on unions for support.
Cunningham is at the top
The other huge shift in political fortunes came with Democratic state Senator Sandra Cunningham being named to the transition team for Governor-elect Christopher Christie.
Sandra’s husband, former state Senator and Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham, had close ties to Christie when Cunningham served as a U.S. Marshall.
This gives Sandra access to the governor other Hudson County Democrats lack, and elevates her to a new stature in the political mix, possibly making it impossible for County Executive Tom DeGise to run someone against her in 2011, as he has indicated he would after. Sandra blocked DeGise’s appointment to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
While rumors suggest that there might be a coalition formed between Stack and Cunningham to help create a new Democratic organization in Hudson County, it may still be too early. But it is likely that if DeGise and Healy try to push her out in the 2011 Democratic primary, Stack could take her side.
Sources close to Stack, however, dispelled a rumor that suggested that Stack might financially back a candidate against Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith in the May 2010 election.
“Stack doesn’t know Smith well enough to have a grudge against him,” one source said. “But they have a lot in common. Both are relatively young, and seem to be looking to the future.”
Largely overlooked are other inroads into Hudson County by Christie, who toured St. Lucy’s Homeless Shelter in Jersey City this week in the company of Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop and his heir apparent in Ward E, Shelly Skinner.
Skinner was named recently to Christie’s educational transition committee, suggesting that Fulop and Skinner may also have the new governor’s ear, especially in regard to political reform.
Reform bruised in Bayonne
Even if Bayonne Democrats get through the Hatch Act investigation unscathed, they will still face accusations they violated the basic premise of a non-partisan election.
Jason O’Donnell, chairman of both Councilman Terrence Ruane’s council reelection as well as the Bayonne Democratic Committee, put Ruane (who is the town’s postmaster) in ads that featured Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jon Corzine and put up signs in the Democratic headquarters which clearly attempted to draw out Democrats to support Ruane.
The problem is that this flies in the face of early 20th century political reform which set up the non-party elections in order to break the grip of political bosses on local elections. By holding elections in May instead of November, reformers sought to discourage people from voting for candidates along party lines and to break the back of political bosses with ties to state and national political parties.
The early 20th century reform movement also proposed competitive bidding for companies doing business with cities, and the establishment of a civil service system to do away with political patronage hiring for city jobs.
By connecting Ruane’s election to the Democratic candidate, O’Donnell unwittingly denied the purpose of the political reform.
Divided loyalties
Former Republican candidate for freeholder in 2005 Mirta Cairo may be back in the mix soon, helping to recreate the Republican Party in Hudson County under a new Republican governor. But first she has to switch back from being a Democrat.
“I switched parties to help Brian Stack get elected to the senate,” she said.
A Republican at heart, she said she had mixed feelings during this last election because she felt loyalty to Corzine for helping to save the hospital in Hoboken.
“But I’m still glad Christie won,” she said. “I’ve been a registered Republican for years and in this county some people hold that against you.”
Democratic Assemblywoman Joan Quigley, however, is not one of them. Cairo called Quigley an admirable person.
“I will be involved again,” Cairo said.
And this will be as a Republican.