This column got spun hard last week by Hoboken political insiders with an interest in the upcoming battle for Hoboken’s 4th Ward council seat. There appears to be a coalition of various groups who want to make incumbent Councilman Michael Lenz look weaker than he might actually be. Thus, their accounts of the June 14 Hoboken Democratic Committee meeting – a non-public meeting in which Ravi Bhalla was elected chairman of the local party – were skewed.
Several sources said the first vote for the chair was a tie between Bhalla and his chief challenger, Ines Garcia Keim, who is a strong ally of Councilwoman Beth Mason. The sources said that the outgoing chairman, Assemblyman Ruben Ramos Jr., failed to break the tie, requiring the second vote to be held in public – and thus leaving some city employees open to possible intimidation from Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s administration if they failed to support Bhalla.
Bhalla, Lenz, and others said that this account was simply not true.
“The first vote was to determine whether there was going to be a hand vote or secret ballot for chairmanship,” Bhalla said. “That was a tie.”
Ramos called for a second show of hands, and the secret balloting idea was rejected in the second round.
While some supporters of the anti-Zimmer faction called the “Real Democrats: claim that the public vote put city workers in a precarious position of opposing the wishes of Mayor Dawn Zimmer, who supported Bhalla, Zimmer supporters say that the only city workers involved were outspoken opposition Real Democratic supporters who faced no intimidation before or after the vote.
Some of the confusion arose because two votes were taken for the chairmanship. This happened not because of the tie, but because the original vote came out 38 for Bhalla and 28 for Keim. Thus, “We obviously miscounted because we knew there were 65 people in the room,” Bhalla said. “We took a more careful count the second time and this came out 38 to 27.”
This vote, Bhalla argued, shows that the reformers who supported him have grown stronger over the last year, not weaker.
“Last year our numbers were in the 20s,” he said. “But we played by the rules. We used a phone bank, palm cards, and knocked on doors. We made no deals and we ran a clean and fair campaign.”
The Hoboken reform movement has brought its influence on the committee, Bhalla said, especially in its impact on local non-partisan elections. Reformers managed to close loopholes that allowed the Democratic Committee to use funds for non-partisan elections, even if or when municipal elections move to from May to November.
As predicted, Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith was chosen as chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization on June 16.
While questions still remain as to how he intends to bring new life to the county’s ailing Democratic Party, Smith vowed to restore it. The election for officers showed he will be bringing many of his own people to the team effort.
Vice chairs to the HCDO got spread around the county to key people from each municipality, with four of the 23 seats going to key people from Bayonne: Steve Gallo, Chris Patella, Joe Taglerini, and Donna Benjamin.
Other vice chair people included Thema Garcia, Brian Assadourian, Jersey City Councilman Peter Brennan, Catherine Cardino, Freeholder Jeff Dublin, Robert Crawford, Michael Dolaghan, Joan Eccleston, Michael Fernandez Lopez, Donna Florio, Ann Graham, Clifford James, Angelica Jimenez, Assemblyman Charles Mainor, Susan McCurrie, Elaine Nicoliello, Benigo Rossario, East Newark Mayor Joseph Smith, and former Secaucus Councilman Richard Steffens.
State Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack, who was at one point in contention with Smith for the chairmanship, did not attend the meeting at which Smith was chosen.
Former chairman Bernard Kenny, who Stack pushed out of the state Senate seat a few years ago, however, did attend, and was well received by the crowd flowing out of School No. 6 in Jersey City, where the vote was taken.
Jenny Davis, a strong Smith supporter in Bayonne, was named HCDO recording secretary. Mike Embrich, another strong Smith supporter, was among a number of people named as sergeants at arms, which also included Jack Caldi, Carmine Grassiano, Jesus Huaranea, West New York Commissioner Jerry Lange, Frances Pizzuta, Democratic candidate for sheriff Frank Schillari, Kenneth Sheehan, and Al Zampella
Legal counsel for the HCDO will be Kenny’s partner, Ed Florio, along with Bill Northgrave.
Bayonne Democratic Bob Doria was named HCDO treasurer.
State and national stuff
Republican Gov. Christopher Christie appears to have won some critical battles regarding getting the cuts he wants in the state budget this year.
Even the Democrats seem to be coming to his point of view in many areas he recommended, proving that having public opinion largely on your side – combined with determination – can be a powerful force for change.
Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee has launched an unprecedented midterm election voter registration effort called “Raise Your Vote,” hoping to repeat a similar drive held in 2008.
A new DNC website,www.RaiseYourVote.com, is a comprehensive voting information and registration hub designed to make it as simple as possible to register to vote and get friends to register. The DNC is working to combat the typical drop-off from a presidential election to a midterm, which can be especially acute among African-Americans and Hispanics.