Hoboken isn’t Oz, but it might have been hard to tell that last week as the politics stirred up a strange storm, and created a strange dynamic that has reformer facing off against reformer in a way few could have predicted a year ago.
Perhaps it is the fact that reformers finally got into power – taking control of the school board and then finally the city council and the mayor’s office – that has caused the weird events the last few weeks have seen.
The school board – which has always been a kind of bellwether for the reform moment – suddenly saw a fracturing as two reformers broke away from Kids First. Worse still is the fact that the new superintendent of schools the reformers managed to hire quit and fled as if flames licked his heels.
The loss of Maureen Sullivan and Carrie Gilliard may not be as serious to Kids First as some believe. The introduction of a Republican slate of school board candidates backed by Nathan Brinkman could have the effect of giving a slate led by former board member Frank Raia the victory.
Brinkman, who ran for mayor in the special election in November, represents a faction of rebellious voters who would like to condense government into the smallest possible package, reducing its influence to the barest essentials with almost no social function.
As with Brinkman’s mayoral attempt, this group will likely get the most rebellious anti- establishment votes that supported reform candidates in the past, but just enough to steer the election into a more mainstream group like Raia’s.
The Kids First ticket will have two incumbents, Rose Marie Markle and Irene Sobolov, and two rookies, Leon Goldand Jean Marie Mitchell.
The Republican candidates include Liz Markevitz, Kathleen Tucker, John Forsman and Perry Lin.
Raia’s team will include Keila Colon and former mayoral candidate Patricia Waiters.
John Madigan and Ken Howitt are running without a ticket.
“There is no way the Republicans can win,” said one staunch Kids First supporter, “But they can send the election to Raia’s ticket.”
This supporter said the key for Kids First is to run a good campaign, and to get the information out to the public. He minimized the impact of the recent cold feet of the schools superintendent who just fled for greener pastures elsewhere.
Yet critics of Kids First say the superintendent’s saddened panicked departure will become a key piece of the election, feeding into the warnings against Kids First’s push to hire him without first doing an extensive search.
The target is Lenz in November
Those seeking to keep Councilman Michael Lenz from being elected to the 4th ward council seat in next November’s special election are rubbing their hands in glee over the disarray in the reform movement, while even some people who profess to be reformers are questioning whether or not Lenz can be elected at all, prompting possible challenges from within and outside the former movement.
Lenz opponents – knowing how much Lenz has been involved in the school board elections in the past – hope Lenz will be so distracted by the problems at the school board that he will not put his usual able effort into his own election, or delay his efforts long enough for alternative candidates to build a following in the community.
But staunch Lenz supporters are not – as reported last week – jumping off his ship just yet, even though opponents and former Lenz allies are claiming they are.
Possible challengers include Terry LaBruno, who brings in old Hoboken supporters, Jamie Cryan – son of a prominent state Senator (rumored to have the support of Councilwoman Beth Mason); former Mason ally Jake Stuiver – who has grown closer to Carmelo Garcia of late; and Tim Occhipinti – supported by former Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons. Some sources claim Flo Amato might even run.
The November election is seen as the foreshadowing of May 2011 when Hoboken will hold its election for the ward council seats.
Other school elections
Incumbent Secaucus Board of Education Trustees Frank Trombetta and Anthony Gerbasio, both of whom seemed to have support of Secaucus Democrats in the past, are not running. Trombetta is rumored to be running for city council in the fall or possibly in the June primary.
Jack McStowe , the remaining incumbent, is said to have done a good job as council president.
Although seven candidates filed, Michele Impreveduto has already withdrawn, leaving Francis O’Keefe, a legislative aide to Assemblywoman Joan Quigley, former Secaucus Councilman Sal Manente, Pat Bulinski, McStowe, Mary Ann Weiner, and Joseph Lousis, vying for three seats.
In Jersey City, 16 candidates are vying for three seats and it is unclear as of yet which candidates will get support of Mayor Jerramiah Healy: Gerry McCann, Kevin Armstrong, Sebastian (Chips) D’Amico, L. Terry Dehere, Evelyn Farmer, Carol Lester, Gerald Lyons, June Mulqueen, John Muniz, Marimer Navarret, Aura Ordonez, Hiral Patel, Anthony Sharperson, Angel Valentin, Sterling Waterman, and Arthur Zigman.
Two tickets in Bayonne for municipal election
In Bayonne, which will have municipal elections in May, two full tickets are expected to clash, one supporting incumbent Mayor Mark Smith, the other Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone.
Leonard Kantor will be running for mayor on his own. It is uncertain whether Councilman Gary LaPelusa will run for mayor, at large council, or for the third ward council seat he currently holds.
Stack still wants HCDO chair
Hudson County Democrats are also gearing up for a full fight over who will get to chair the Hudson County Democratic Organization. While state Senator and Union City Mayor Brian Stack appears to want the seat, there are many people trying to stop him. While normally, County Executive Tom DeGise would be a good choice, his political feud with State Senator Sandra Cunningham has raised alarm bells among Democrats, who fear he might try to unseat her if he was to become chair. Some alternative names include Freeholders Jeff Dublin or Bill O’Dea.
“You have to think Brian (Stack) is reading all the old articles on the techniques Billy Musto used to try to get to be chairman,” one source said.
Stack, however, has a local election in May for Commissioner of Union City where he is being challenged by Frank Scarafile.
Two weeks away from filing deadline, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner still has no challenger in the May election. But Turner won’t stop biting his fingernails until deadline day.