On Tuesday, residents can vote for one council person to represent their ward in town, three Board of Education candidates, and two people for the state Assembly.
The City Council has nine slots, but it’s only the six ward seats that are up for election. The Board of Education has nine seats as well, with three up for grabs.
Four candidates are running for two seats in the 33rd Legislative District Assembly, representing Hoboken, Union City, Weehawken, and part of Jersey City.
The city will have 40 polling places available throughout the city open from 6 am to 8 p.m. To find out which ward you live in and where to find a polling location visit the Board of Elections website at www.hudsoncountyclerk.org/elections.
To get election results on Tuesday night, visit hudsonreporter.com.
Calling all City Council candidates!
The City Council races are considered the most heated with 13 candidates running this year.
The only uncontested race is for the 3rd Ward. Incumbent Michael Russo is running. Former Councilman Frank Raia dropped out of the race (see more on that in Al Sullivan’s political column this week.)
The city will have 40 polling places available throughout the city open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
____________
The council monitors the city’s agencies, makes land-use decisions, has sole responsibility of approving the budget and legislates a wide range of subjects. Each councilperson also serves on at least two of the council’s eight current committees.
In the 1st Ward, Councilwoman and incumbent Theresa Castellano (who has represented her ward since 1995) is vying for the spot against Zoning Board Commissioner Michael DeFusco. The ward is in the southeast part of town near the train station.
The 2nd Ward, located on the northeast waterfront, is up for grabs, as Councilwoman Beth Mason is not running again. It will be a three-pronged race among Hoboken Board of Education Trustee Peter Biancamano, Zoning Board Commissioner Tiffanie Fisher, and Nintendo marketing manager Bonnie Murray.
The 4th Ward, which is in the southwest and home to many of the city’s public housing projects, has three candidates. Councilman and incumbent Tim Occhipinti is running for reelection against former 33rd District Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, and Housing Authority (HHA) chairwoman Dana Wefer.
In the 5th Ward, covering the northwest part of town, former Housing Authority Board Commissioner Eduardo Gonzalez is challenging Councilman Peter Cunningham’s bid for a third term in office.
In the midtown 6th Ward, outgoing 33rd district Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia is angling for a return to municipal politics with a challenge to first-term Councilwoman Jennifer Giattino.
The mayor has endorsed DeFusco, Fisher, Wefer, Cunningham, and Giattino.
Read City Council profiles and watch The Hudson Reporter’s debate at www.hudsonreporter.com.
Three bound for Board of Ed
School board trustees oversee the district’s budget, approve the curriculum, evaluate the superintendent, represent the public during contract negotiations, and serve as a liaison between the community and the school system. Patricia Waiters, a vocal critic of the current administration, is running an independent campaign.
Running under the “A Smarter Future” banner is John Madigan, who independently ran for a seat on the board in 2010, and longtime residents (also first time runners) Alanna Kauffmann and Britney Montgomery.
A second slate, “Reach Higher, Hoboken!” is comprised of Tom Kluepfel and first-time candidates and active parents Sheillah Dallara and Addys Velez.Kids First, a group that was backed by Zimmer in the past, currently includes Tyroler, Mitchell, Jennifer Evans, Irene Sobolov, and Monica Stromwall, holding the board majority. While the group hasn’t officially put forth a slate in the upcoming race, Tyroler and Zimmer said they are endorsing the Reach Higher ticket. If school board trustee Peter Biancamano, who is running for a 2nd Ward City Council seat, is elected, he would legally be obligated to vacate his seat and the board would elect a temporary entrant until the term ends in 2017.
33rd District Assembly
In the 33rd District, four candidates are running. Voters will decide which two of the four will serve for the next two years. Outgoing Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia decided not to run for re-election, instead aiming for a 6th Ward City Council seat. The candidates on the Democratic side include current Assemblyman Raj Mukherji and his running mate Annette Chaparro (who lives in Hoboken), and Republican contenders Garret P. Simulcik Jr. and Javier Sosa.
Steven Rodas can be reached at srodas@hudsonreporter.com.