Although not unexpected, the victory of Undersheriff Frank Schillari over his boss, incumbent Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez on Nov. 2, was one of the mostly hotly-contested races in Hudson County this year and one of the most contentious races for sheriff in decades.
Backed by some of the most powerful political figures in Hudson County, Schillari rolled over Perez by a 2-1 margin to become the next sheriff of Hudson County. With 52,237 votes recorded by the Hudson County Clerk on election night, Schillari received almost 65 percent of the total vote cast as opposed to the 25,750 votes or 32 percent Perez received. North Bergen independent Herbert Shaw received 2, 189 votes, or slightly more than 2 percent of the total vote.
“I am overwhelmed and humbled by the support and trust the residents of the county have put in me.” Frank Schillari
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Perez did better in Bayonne where he lives and where many veterans voted for him, but did less well in Jersey City where he expected to pick up votes. Perez lost every district in Jersey City Ward E where Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop worked on Schillari’s behalf.
Schillari celebrated his victory after the polls closed at Schuetzen Park in North Bergen, in the company of his strongest political ally, state Senator and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco.
Schillari, 63, of Secaucus will replace Perez, 59, of Bayonne, in January when Perez’s term ends. Perez was elected in 2007 to replace then-Sheriff Joe Cassidy.
Paul Swibinski, spokesperson for Schillari, called Nov. 2 “A very good day for the Hudson County Democratic Organization,” which successfully brought out Democrats throughout the county for all of its candidates.
“This shows that when Sacco, [State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian] Stack, [Bayonne Mayor Mark] Smith and [County Executive Tom] DeGise are on the same page, Hudson County Democrats can produce the kind of votes it did when Hudson County was a force to reckoned with.”
Swibinski said under Smith’s leadership and supported by the others, the county Democrats are moving in the right director
“Frank was an extraordinarily great candidate,” Swibinski said. “Born and raised in Jersey City, he’s had an outstanding career in law enforcement, and even though this was his first time running for office, he brought a lot to the table and he worked very hard.”
Latino and African American communities came out for Schillari
Jose Arango, chairman of the Hudson County Republican Party that embraced Perez as its candidate last May when it became clear that the Hudson County Democratic Party intended to go with Schillari instead, said: “The turnout wasn’t big enough to upset the Democratic machine,” he said. “But it was a combination of things.”
Arango said the Latino community did not come out for Perez, which was something the Republican candidate had relied on and poses some concern for the future.
“This means that a Hispanic leader can be thrown out without any consequence from the Hispanic community,” Arango said.
Swibinski said Democrats were very concerned about the impact of the Latino vote, which was why Schillari made every effort to campaign in those areas.
“The Hispanic voters are an important part of the Democratic Party, and we feared there would be some erosion of votes in the Spanish community,” Swibinski said.
Schillari made frequent campaign tours through Union City in the company of Mayor Brian Stack and in other areas of the heavily Latino North Hudson, Swibinski said. “We thought it would be close. But Frank made a tremendous effort in North Hudson, attending every parade, campaigning door to door, walking up and down Bergenline Avenue.”
The other area of concern was the fact that state Sen. Sandra Cunningham of Jersey City had not endorsed Schillari. But through the efforts of Jersey City Councilwoman Viola Richardson, Freeholder Jeff Dublin and Assemblyman Charles Manior, Schillari carried the critical Ward F in Jersey City as well
“We ran a very positive campaign,” Swibinski said
David vs. Goliath
“It was a David and Goliath fight from the start,” said Robert Knapp, campaign consultant for Perez. “He did not lose for lack of work or trying to get his message out. This is what it is.”
Perez thanked his entire campaign staff.
“I want to thank all of the voters who cast their ballots for me,” Perez said. “I also want to thank the campaign people who worked so hard.”
“We didn’t have a big army,” Knapp said. “It was a small intimate group of people who worked extremely hard.”
Perez said he can hold his head up extremely high, knowing that he is leaving that office in better condition than when he found it, and he praised all the professional officers, men and women who worked for him in the department.
But in a hint that he might be considering running for another elected office next year, Perez said his Juan M. Perez Civic Association will remain intact for the next year and beyond, exploring other opportunities to serve community.