THE 'IN' CROWD
Sandy's slate wooed by Dems as Smith gets on board with Assembly candidacy

Thursday, March 22, 2007
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Declaring he's found "a stable environment" in the unsettled world of Hudson County Democratic politics, former Jersey City acting Mayor and City Council President L. Harvey Smith formally announced last week that he's running for state Assembly in the 31st District on a ticket headed by the widow of his former political foe, Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham.

Flanked by his running mates - Sandra Bolden Cunningham, a candidate for state Senate, and Bayonne at-Large Councilman Anthony Chiappone, who is running for the other Assembly seat in the district - Smith made the announcement at the Chandelier Restaurant in Bayonne.

"The attractiveness of this ticket is its balance," said Smith, 58, a former teacher, guidance counselor and basketball coach at Dickinson High School and currently the Hudson County undersheriff. "I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of a dynamic team."

Smith served as council president during Mayor Cunningham's three years in office and at first got along with him, but as Cunningham's war with the leadership of the Hudson County Democratic Organization intensified, Smith allied himself with the party.

In November 2003, their feud came to a head as they squared off in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat Bolden Cunningham is now running for. Glenn Cunningham won and feelings were so bitter that Bolden Cunningham barred Smith from attending her husband's funeral in May 2004.

Addressing this history, Bolden Cunningham said: "I learned a lot of things from my husband and one of these things was the lesson of reconciliation. We've reconciled to do what is right for the 31st District."

That reconciliation apparently might extend to the HCDO.

In an effort to woo Bolden Cunningham to the HCDO slate, party chairman Bernard Kenny, the Senate majority leader from Hoboken, and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy met with her and her advisors last week.

"We had an excellent meeting," Kenny said. "We have tremendous respect for her (Bolden Cunningham). We would like to join together for the good of the people of Hudson County."

But Bolden Cunningham is also in negotiations with Union City Mayor and Assemblyman Brian Stack, who is challenging Kenny for the 33rd District seat.

"We're leaving our options open," Bolden Cunningham said.

Several officials said the Democratic primary in June could feature two, and possibly three, slates: an HCDO slate, a Stack-led ticket, and a separate Bolden Cunningham slate in the 31st District.

Sheriff Joseph Cassidy, who is also up for re-election, attended last week's announcement. Cassidy said he was denied the HCDO line by Healy and Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise - who is also up for re-election - so he's now aligned with Stack. Healy and DeGise didn't return phone calls seeking comment yesterday.