With the filing deadline for the November municipal election in Hoboken set for this Monday, Aug. 31, it appears the ticket backed by Mayor Dawn Zimmer may be at least one candidate short. Unless things change in the last days of August, Zimmer hasn’t chosen anyone to run against 3rd Ward Councilman Michael Russo.
While that might free up campaign dollars to spend on other races, it might prove risky for control of the City Council.
People who support the apparent decision to not run anyone against Russo point to the fact that Russo is nearly impossible to beat in the 3rd Ward, where he buried his opponent in 2011. The argument goes that campaign money controlled by the mayor could be better spent supporting candidates who are in tight races in the 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th wards.
Those who want Zimmer to put a candidate up against Russo admit that it probably would be an impossible task, but they say running an opponent against Russo would keep the councilman busy. With his own reelection a cakewalk, Russo would be in a position to help out other candidates, particularly Carmelo Garcia in the 6th Ward, where Garcia hopes to unseat Jen Giattino, a Zimmer ally.
Russo reportedly has political ties to both Garcia and Ruben Ramos Jr., who plans to run in a three-way 4th Ward race against Councilman Tim Occhipinti and against Garcia’s nemesis, Dana Wefer, also a Zimmer ally.
The Russo faction is desperate to peel one of two possible seats away from Zimmer’s slim 5-4 margin of control on the council, and fend off challenges to council members aligned with him.
Currently, there are four anti-Zimmer votes on the council, and five pro-Zimmer votes.
The mayor, however, must deal with the anti-Zimmer council members to get financial legislation passed. Resolutions and most ordinances can be adopted by a simple majority of one vote – but to get financial ordinances passed, such a bond issue, Zimmer needs a sixth vote. Over the last two years, Russo has managed to broker his position as the sixth vote to get things for his constituents. Russo’s power will diminish if Zimmer manages to win a sixth seat.
Ironically, Russo will also lose power if Ramos wins a seat, since Ramos will then also be in a position to broker deals with the Zimmer administration. Russo benefits most if the anti-Zimmer candidates manage to win back one deciding vote on the council.
To achieve this, the anti-Zimmer forces must retain the 2nd and 4th ward seats, while gaining either the 5th or 6th.
While Ramos people claim he has the votes to win the three-way race against Wefer and Occhipinti, in truth the 4th Ward strongly resembles the 2013 municipal race in which the anti-Zimmer forces were split and she was reelected with less than 50 percent of the vote.
Behind the scenes, wealthy developer Frank Raia is apparently supporting Occhipinti, and this split could allow Wefer to win.
Will Mason run or not?
Councilwoman Beth Mason, who is aligned for the most part with Russo, poses a bigger challenge to Russo’s ability to keep all his allies in place. Nobody actually knows what she plans to do. While those close to her are convinced she will run for reelection, and Mason has collected the signatures to run, by press time she hadn’t formally announced her plans. If she doesn’t run, the 2nd Ward becomes an open seat anyone might win. If she does run, then Zimmer’s most vocal supporters – who hate her more than any of the other anti-Zimmer candidates – will rally to defeat her.
Fulop’s taking the Cowan lawsuit seriously
In something of an ironic twist, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who is facing a lawsuit from former Police Chief Robert Cowan because Fulop removed him as chief in 2014, has hired a law firm of two former federal prosecutors with a track record for getting bribery convictions in Hudson County for his defense team.
Cowan claims he was demoted because he refused to follow orders he considered illegal.
One of the principals in the law firm helped convict former Jersey City Deputy Mayor Leona Beldini in the controversial 2009 Big Rig II federal sting. The other attorney helped convict former Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell, but failed to convict former state Assemblyman Louis Manzo.
There has always been some speculation about whether a deal was struck by the U.S. Attorney’s office to allow Manzo to go free in exchange for testimony against Elwell. Manzo’s brother, Ron, was a chief witness for the prosecution in both cases.
Hiring this firm may be an indication of just how seriously Fulop takes Cowan’s lawsuit against him.
Jersey City officials stung by sting
A sting operation of a different sort plagued several high Jersey City officials this week when they came to view a beekeeping expedition on the roof of the Hyatt Hotel in Jersey City.
While honeybees tend not to be particularly aggressive, they are territorial, especially to protect their nests. Assemblyman Raj Mukherji and City Council President Rolando Lavarro happened to be standing on the wrong part of the roof when the bees were lifted out of their newly-opened nests. Lavarro ducked for cover as bees swarmed near him. An aide to Mukherji got several bees caught in his hair. Mukherji was stung just under the left eye.
Rumor mill active in North Bergen
The possible seating of a new federal grand jury has a number of people nervous in North Bergen. The fear is the new jury may want to look at more public officials in response to the allegations of wrongdoing in the Department of Public Works. Then again, the rumor may simply be wishful thinking by forces aligned against Mayor Nicholas Sacco.
In any case, the rumors do not name Sacco as the target of the grand jury, but some other high-ranking official.
Much of this talk is designed to undermine support for Sacco by increasing the perception that he is losing his grip on power. This comes after a municipal election in which Sacco performed less-well than he historically does, feeding the belief that he is politically vulnerable.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.