Michele Richardson is apparently the latest choice to run for the state Assembly from Jersey City on the official Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) line with Bayonne’s Nicholas Chiaravalloti. This leaves the two incumbent Assembly members, Charles Mainor and Jason O’Donnell, out in the cold, as well as several other potential candidates, including Bruce Alston and Joe Conte.
The 31st Assembly district includes all of Bayonne and half of Jersey City. Each state legislative district has one state senator and two assembly people. Typically the mayor of each town gets to pick the candidate for each of the seats.
Two weeks ago, people associated with Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said the mayor had initially intended to name Jersey City Councilwoman Joyce Watterman to replace Mainor as the Jersey City candidate. Fulop has since changed his mind.
By replacing Mainor with Watterman, Fulop might have risked angering state Sen. Sandra Cunningham. Why? A number of political observers saw Watterman, if upgraded to the Assembly, as a potential rival for Cunningham’s senate seat in two years. Richardson, the wife of Judge Joe Charles, is a strong ally of Cunningham. Ironically, if Richardson is elected, she would take a seat her husband held for many years.
She and Chiaravalloti are also seen as strong allies of former Bayonne mayor and long-time Assemblyman Joe Doria.
Fulop’s move to mend fences with Cunningham comes at a time when Fulop is facing growing opposition in his attempt to be the Democratic candidate for governor – including state senators Ray Lesniak and Steve Sweeney, who have also announced they want the nomination. Cunningham has a good relationship with both senators. Fulop’s support of Richardson for the Assembly seat nomination is seen as an attempt to keep Cunningham from turning against him later.
The battle is on in West New York
Gloves came off quickly in the campaign in the Board of Commissioner’s race in West New York. In May, the residents will elect five commissioners, one of whom will become mayor.
Incumbent Mayor Felix Roque’s campaign is trying to prove that two members of the opposing ticket – Commissioner Count Wiley and Carlos “Chucky” Betancourt – are not residents of West New York and therefore are not allowed to run for office.
The Roque camp claims Wiley’s wife serves as a political committee member in North Bergen where Wiley’s father and brother worked. Betancourt allegedly has been voting and paying taxes out of an out-of-town address.
The Wiley campaign denies the residency issue, but has in the past also questioned Roque’s residency.
Recently, Wiley accused Roque of disrupting the annual WNY Little League dinner. Since last year, Wiley had paid all the expenses for a dinner which celebrates Little Leaguers and their parents for their outstanding work and achievements. In preparation for this year’s annual dinner, Commissioner Wiley, in cooperation with Our Lady of Libera Church, planned this year’s event. He accused Roque and his workers of interfering with the event in order to hold one of their own. Wiley claims someone from Roque’s camp contacted the Archdiocese of Newark to ensure the event would not be held.
Wiley said he believes Roque is using the dinner as a political event ahead of the May elections, as he believes Roque did of a recent football event at which Roque allegedly handed out miniature footballs with “Re- Elect Mayor Roque 2015” on them.
WNY commissioner candidate, Hector Hernandez, stated, “Politics has no place in any recreation dinner, period. These events are to celebrate the achievements that the children have worked so hard for year round.”
Pablo Fosenca, a spokesperson for Roque, denied anyone from the Roque camp called the Archdiocese, and said that Roque wants only the best for the children involved with the Little League. “We would welcome a chance to work with Count Wiley to provide for the children of West New York,” he said.
Garcia gets a shock
Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia of Hoboken has been telling people for months that he was going to retain his seat on the state Assembly.
But reports circulating from sources close to state Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack have said he will select Annette Chaparro of Hoboken. Her link to Hoboken Police Chief Kenneth Ferrante shows that Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer continues to select candidates from a very tight group of insiders, and not always from the best choices available.
This decision to dump Garcia appears to have come after a meeting between Stack and Zimmer in mid-February – after months of speculation in the public about who would get Garcia’s seat.
Garcia steadfastly said that he had Stack’s support, when most political observers said he would not.
With the deadline for filing for the June Democratic Primary in mid-March, Garcia may have to decide whether or not to run against the political machine.
He also has the option to run for Hoboken council in the 6th Ward in November. Or he might even do both.
He isn’t the only potential candidate gearing up for the ward elections in Hoboken, nor is he the only person who needs to reach a decision about the future. Councilwoman Beth Mason will soon have to decide if she will seek reelection when it is likely pro-Zimmer forces will be seeking to unseat her.
Councilman Tim Occhipinti will have to face a similar choice knowing that it is possible that former state Assemblyman Ruben Ramos will likely run against him in the 4th Ward.
Some sources say that real estate developer and former school trustee Frank Raia is already meeting with council members Michael Russo and Terry Castellano in an attempt to build a united front against Zimmer-backed candidates. This is part of an effort to heal the wounds that were inflicted among the anti-Zimmer forces in the 2013 municipal elections. The divided anti-Zimmer candidates allowed Zimmer to narrowly retain the mayoral seat and carry in her at-large candidates.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.