Bayonne voters go to polls to choose Democratic freeholder candidate

BAYONNE – Democratic city voters will go to the polls Tuesday, June 3, to choose their candidate for the Hudson County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Kenneth Kopacz, principal of Washington Community School in Bayonne, and Rafael Augusto, a Jersey City Public Schools purchasing assistant, will go head to head for the nomination.
Kopacz is backed by Mayor Mark Smith, and Augusto, by Police Capt. James Davis. Smith and Davis are locked in their own battle next week, on June 10, when their runoff election for the mayoralty will be held.
The winner of the Democratic freeholder contest will likely be the District One representative, since no Republican candidates filed to run in that party’s primary.
District One consists of all of Bayonne, and the County Village section of Jersey City. A small section of County Village is located in Bayonne.
Kopacz and Augusto are competing for the post being vacated by Freeholder Dr. Doreen DiDomenico, who will retire at the end of her current term because of personal and increased professional obligations.
Kopacz is running on the Hudson County Democratic Organization line. Augusto registered under the “Duty, Honor, Community” motto.
Polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. – Joseph Passantino