Sandra’s choice for Assembly candidate

Insiders say the choice for who will get the Democratic nod for the other seat in the 31st state Assembly district will be left up to State Sen. Sandra Cunningham.

The district has two Assembly seats and they are generally assigned to candidates from Bayonne and Jersey City, which make up the district. Nicholas A. Chiaravalloti appears to have the nod to replace Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell in Bayonne.

But in Jersey City, there seems to be a question as to whether the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) will endorse Assemblyman Charles Mainor or go with someone chosen by Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.

Many people believe that Jeremiah Walker, former candidate for mayor, is on the short list. Jersey City Democratic Municipal Chairman Joe Conte is also running for the seat, although many see his chances as slim against an HCDO-backed candidate. Cunningham, however, seems comfortable with Mainor, an ally that she can depend on in a constantly-changing political environment.

Chiaravalloti is considered an ally of former Bayonne mayor and icon of the state Assembly Joe Doria. While not hostile to Cunningham, he is not an avid supporter either. Cunningham has been seen traveling to many events with Mainor over the last few months, suggesting that she will support him in any dispute for the seat.

Fulop, reports claim, will accede to her wishes to avoid political hostilities in Hudson County ahead of his expected run for governor in 2017.

Garcia’s fate may not yet be sealed

The future of Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia appears to be unsettled. While some insiders say he will not be asked to run on the HCDO line in the June Democratic primary, he is convinced he will be. He poses a serious question for the HCDO, since Hoboken Councilwoman Beth Mason and former Hoboken school board member Frank Raia might also want the seat. Most agree if Garcia is replaced, the seat will go to another Hispanic individual. But you can bet that Hoboken Councilman Ravi Bhalla will likely seek the seat since he has tried twice before unsuccessfully.

Opponents of Bhalla’s ally, Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer, would benefit if Bhalla wins an Assembly nod, because it would force him to give up his City Council seat, requiring a special election that could be won by an anti-Zimmer council candidate.

Perhaps we’ll even see some traditional anti-Zimmer people working for Bhalla’s election to the Assembly. In Hoboken, stranger things have happened.

Bayonne school board and Davis at odds

The Bayonne Board of Education is in conflict with Mayor James Davis over a number of issues.

Money supposedly owed to the city by the board could make up this year’s budget gap, and provide the city with its first balanced budget in nearly a decade without the need for the financial tricks used in the past – such as sales of city land and other gimmicks.

The recent reappointment of Superintendent Dr. Patricia L. McGeehan for two years appears to have gone against the wishes of the mayor, who had wanted the board only to offer her a one-year deal.

The Board of Education – which was largely appointed under Mayor Mark Smith – bought its members an additional six months in office when it moved the election from April to November, allowing it time to make a number of moves Davis may not like.

But some believe that a newly-elected board may prove to be less the nirvana as originally envisioned. An elected board will become much more political, and some see it as potentially disruptive as new board members bring their own agenda. Bayonne could soon see similar battles typical of Jersey City.

Jersey City Board of Education will be a battleground

Hostility between newly-elected members of the Jersey City Board of Education and sitting board members has spilled over into the new year. Last Tuesday the members clashed in a divided vote to elect Marylyn Roman as vice president of the board.

Roman has been a harsh critic of Superintendent Dr. Marcia Lyles, and for the last year was seen as the only opponent to a conservative agenda put forth by Lyles and supported by the eight other members. Several parents have chastised Lyle for being too closely aligned with Republican Gov. Christopher Christie.

The recent election pitted conservative members backed by a group called Parents for Progress against candidates that are largely opposed to the Lyle agenda. With the backing of the teachers’ union, candidates opposed to Lyle swept into office and were sworn in at the Jan. 6 reorganization meeting. In a deal to win over the needed fifth vote for the anti-Lyle agenda, these candidates, along with Roman, voted to support Vidya Gangadin as president. She was elected unanimously.

But the pro-Lyle members could not do the same for Roman, and Micheline Amy, who voted by telephone, went beyond a mere “no” vote to accuse Roman of not working well with other board members. The remark reverberated through a meeting packed with the anti-Lyle parents and teachers. It also suggests a raucous time ahead for the board in 2015 regardless of calls for unity.

Internal affairs as a political issue in Jersey City?

Jersey City public safety officials remain mum about complaints by a number of police saying that there has been political retaliation inside and outside the department – possibly part of the reason for the reorganization of the department last summer.

This is particularly true of the use of the department’s office of internal affairs, which some officers believe was improperly used as a political tool in the department.

While Fulop and Public Safety Director James Shea appear to be trying to correct problems in the department with the reorganization by shifting those who oversee the internal affairs department, they risk a whopping lawsuit if they actually go public with any of the details. A scandal in the Police Department, even if rectified by the reorganization, doesn’t fit well into Fulop’s campaign for governor. The city has yet to respond to requests for comment.

Al Sullivan may be reached at asullivan@hudsonreporter.com.

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