In some ways, Republicans in Hudson County are forced to play the role as loyal opposition, meaning that they are not likely to win many local elections, but their role is to keep the system honest.
For Republican County Chairman Jose Arango, the challenge is in finding good candidates who are willing to fight to good fight, people that are qualified to win, and probably will do a good job if they were ever to actually get elected.
While the Republicans have only put up one candidate for one of the nine freeholder seats in November, Arango said he has quality candidates lined up for the rest of the county seats this year as well as each state Assembly and state Senate seat.
The Republicans are currently challenging the constitutionality of the freeholder districts, which were not redistricted this year. Arango said this violated state and federal laws that said each district must reflect the latest Census. While state legislature has redistricted with those candidates running in new boundaries, the freeholders got a pass until the next election, something that Arango and the Republicans are challenging in court.
DeLuca is a star
Perhaps the shinning star of the Republican ticket this year is Stephen DeLuca, who has some impressive credentials, recognized as a one-time advisor to the White House as well as a naval admiral on the West Coast.
“He works against human trafficking,” Arango said.
Once he committed to run for county executive this November, DeLuca began to look closely at the county budget and came up with the startling realization that a huge portion of what gets raised goes to paying salaries.
DeLuca might seek support from powerful Democrats such as State Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, and state Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack. Arango doesn’t see this happening, even though he personally has a good relationship with Sacco and especially Stack.
“Brian was my chief of staff when I was in the state Assembly,” Arango said. “But Brian is not a Republican, even though he has a close relationship with the governor. Brian simply knows how to work in a non-partisan way while most of the other Democrats in Hudson County don’t.”
Besides, the Republicans have their own candidates up against Stack, Sacco, and state Sen. Sandra Cunningham. Donnamaire James is opposing Cunningham in the 31st District, Edward O’Neill is running on the Republican line against Sacco, and Republican Beth Hamburger is challenging Stack in the 33rd District.
Jersey City race gears up
In what some may see as a test case for the 2013 municipal elections, the special election in November to fill the unexpired terms of former Council members Mariano Vega and Willie Flood has drawn a lot of interest. This may have to do with the fact that candidates do not need many signatures to enter the races or need to get more than 50 percent of the vote to win. But it is also a good way to get name recognition with the hopes of getting onto someone’s ticket in 2013 and to see just how well they can do before they have to spend time and money in the tougher elections later on. And the winner of these seats can have the advantage of letting the person run as an incumbent in the May 2013 election.
Ray Velazquez and Kalimah Ahmad currently hold those seats and their winning or losing will also serve as a test of strength for Mayor Jerramiah Healy, who had endorsed them. Healy will likely seek reelection, and this election will be a test of his organization, which did not do well in the recent primary elections for committee seats.
Dan Levin, who ran against Healy for mayor in 2009 and is expected to run for mayor again in 2013, is one of the more prominent candidates for one of these contested seats.
Around the county
Attorney Michael Goldberg, who has worked for several people who politically oppose Mayor Dawn Zimmer in Hoboken, is leaving for out of state and will be replaced by Jason Orland, a Harvard graduate.
“Jason is good,” one observer said. “But he’s no Michael Goldberg.”
Goldberg has been the legal thorn in Zimmer’s side for several years, undoing many of the behind-the-scenes political moves made to break the back of the opposition.
“He will be missed,” another political operative said.
With the Zimmer administration making a number of savvy political moves over the last few months, Goldberg’s expertise will indeed be missed.
Meanwhile, the conviction of former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell on one count in his trial for allegedly taking a bribe may have been the last straw for some old guard Democrats in Secaucus, leaving a vacuum that remains to be filled by some up-and-coming political force.
This becomes very important with two critical municipal elections looming. Half the City Council runs in 2012, and the other half runs at the same time as the mayor in 2013. The big question is where the opposition will come from to take on Mayor Michael Gonnelli.
In other news, rumors continue to circulate that Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith will resign in October to take a post with the Port Authority – rumors he continues to deny.
In West New York, Mayor Felix Roque appears to be building good relations with North Hudson mayors, while Guttenberg Mayor Gerald Drasheff may be looking over his shoulder. Rumors suggest that Councilwoman Donna Florio may be considering a run against him.