In a deal that could help Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer retain control of the City Council, wealthy developer and former school board President Frank Raia has filed petitions to run against 3rd Ward Councilman Michael Russo in the November municipal election.
Raia is rumored to have met with both Zimmer and Councilwoman Beth Mason prior to his filing to get their blessing and possible support in his race to unseat Russo.
Raia, who ran unsuccessfully as an at-large council candidate in 2013, previously locked horns with Russo in 2007 in an attempt to take the 3rd Ward seat.
Behind the scenes, Mason – who has decided not to seek reelection herself – will also likely back Raia against Russo.
“This is payback for what Russo did against Mason earlier this year in denying her a chair on the Democratic committee,” one source said. Russo refused to give her a seat on the committee during the reorganization meeting in June.
Zimmer has no official candidate running against Russo.
A spokesperson for Mason said she did a lot of soul searching before deciding not to seek reelection. But after having dedicated more than a decade to public service in Hoboken, she has decided to seek other opportunities.
More than a three-ring circus
The Russo-Raia fight will be the main event in what is expected to become the biggest Hudson County political circus of 2015. Raia was among 15 people who filed petitions to run for six ward council seats.
But other interesting races will be in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 6th wards, and the results could cause a significant shift in the makeup of the council. Currently council members loyal to Zimmer hold a slim 5-4 majority. They would like to get a sixth vote because that would allow them to issue bonds and conduct other financial legislation without needing to make a swing vote deal with an opposition member.
Opposition to Zimmer is split into two camps, and has been since the 2013 election, when the anti-Zimmer camps’ infighting allowed Zimmer and her candidates to sweep without a majority of citywide votes.
Former Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, who will run in the 4th Ward against incumbent Tim Occhipinti and Housing Authority chairperson Dana Wefer, leads one anti-Zimmer faction. Raia, who is aligned with Occhipinti, leads the other.
Tough fights everywhere in the city
Mason’s decision not to run clears the way for a possible victory by school board member Peter Biancamano, who will be in a three-way race against Tiffanie Fisher and Bonnie Murray.
Biancamano ran with Raia in 2013 when they both sought at-large council seats, but it is unclear if they will run together again this year.
Fisher reportedly is supported by Zimmer, although some sources believe the mayor might back off from that support as part of a deal with Raia.
Councilwoman Theresa Castellano is opposed by Zoning Board Commissioner Michael DeFusco. Although Castellano has been the 1st Ward councilperson since 1995, her last few elections were by relatively slim margins. Zimmer acolytes believe Castellano can be beaten.
Need to keep what they have
While on the other side, those opposed to Zimmer are desperate, not just to retain the number seats they already control, but to win back the deciding vote. For nearly a year in 2013, opponents of Zimmer held control of the council, making her legislative life miserable.
One of the seats Zimmer opponents are eying is in the 5th Ward where they hope former Housing Authority Board Commissioner Eduardo Gonzalez can beat Councilman Peter Cunningham. But just like with the 4th Ward, Cunningham’s chances may be helped by a third candidate, Melissa Blanco, who can split the anti-Zimmer vote.
Former Housing Authority Director Carmelo Garcia will run with Ramos and Russo in his effort to gain the 6th Ward seat, but is also apparently trying to settle a political grudge with the Zimmer administration. He is running against Councilwoman Jennifer Giattino in the central ward, and was removed from the HHA by Wefer, Giattino’s ally.
Will the Hoboken council remove Mason?
Citing state law that says a council member can be removed if he or she misses too many meetings in a row, anti-Mason people are urging the council to remove her over the next few weeks. This would allow the Zimmer-controlled council to name Mason’s replacement and would give Zimmer a super majority vote on the council prior to the November election.
Stop Troyer!
Some behind-the-scenes political people in Secaucus are trying to get Mayor Mike Gonnelli to more firmly support three school board candidates to keep former Trustee Tom Troyer from regaining a seat.
Troyer is running against Joan Cali, Louis Giele, Norma Hanley, Dorothy Nicholson, and Kelli D’Addetta. The three candidates with the most votes win the seats. The problem is that Troyer has a base of votes he can count on. If Gonnelli does not step into the race, the other candidates might just split the vote enough for Troyer to win – a nightmare for many of Gonnelli’s closest associates.
Can Verdibello win this time?
In Jersey City, Gina Verdibello got the short end of the political stick last year when voters elected two members of her ticket to the Board of Education, but not her. This was partly because the teachers unions largely decided last year’s race, and candidates the unions endorsed were victorious.
This year, Verdibello is one of four candidates seeking to fill three seats. But she faces stiff competition from two incumbents as well as a non-incumbent.
Seeking reelection is Marilyn Roman, who until last year was the lone trustee opposed to a school board largely supported by Mayor Steven Fulop. This year, she is one of four trustees with the largely same agenda.
Board President Vidya Gangadin is also seeking reelection. Gangadin is the swing vote in a divided board. She was the compromise candidate for board president and it will be interesting to see if she can retain her seat. Also running this year is John Reichart.
Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.