Politicial Insider Column
The Jersey Journal

Cunningham chooses - and who loses?
Saturday, March 24, 2007

T he soldiers in the Hudson County Dems' civil war are starting to line up on the battlefield, with Sandra Bolden Cunningham, widow of Jersey City Mayor Glenn D. Cunningham, joining the forces of the Hudson County Democratic Organization as its state Senate candidate in the 31st District.

The HCDO is embracing Cunningham, whose late husband was Jersey City's first African-American mayor and was once excluded from the exclusive political club, because the old line Democrats see her as a defense from a county takeover by Union City Mayor and Assemblyman Brian P. Stack, Hoboken officials, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, U.S. Rep. Albio Sires and others. A Cunningham slate in the 31st includes Assembly running mates Anthony Chiappone, a Bayonne councilman, and L. Harvey Smith, a former Jersey City councilman.

Immediately, one has to wonder several things about the Cunningham decision to run with two people who were banned from attending her husband's funeral - Smith and County Executive Tom DeGise.

First, what was the deciding factor in her decision?

Cunningham says it was not a matter of trying to pick one of two factions, but rather to complete the effort of her late husband in trying to find a place at the HCDO table.

"I have a great deal of respect for Mayor Stack," she told the Insider yesterday. "Glenn had fought to be at the HCDO table. Glenn deserved to get on with them, and I'm carrying on Glenn's effort.

"Besides, there has to be a reconciliation. When we win, we have to work with the county executive, if we are to serve the people. The time is now for us to unite as one county."

In a prepared statement released yesterday in which she calls her announcement the start of "a new day," Cunningham is quoted as saying: "As I said, I wasn't against reconciling with the HCDO. However, I wanted the HCDO to know that I will not be bossed and I will not be lied to.

"I have always welcomed the opportunity to bring peace back to the entire county. The African-American community has been subjected to the whims of those in power too long and it was time for a change. I could not be a part of any decision that gives us power today and after the election, disappears. ."

In the case of Smith, Cunningham reconciled with him because the former acting Jersey City mayor had made initial overtures to end the bitter feelings. Yet, Smith has to be one of the most uncomfortable people in this political marriage. He is being asked to accept those in the HCDO who this year rejected him as an Assembly running mate with Bayonne Mayor Joseph Doria, when Doria was planning to run for re-election as the 31st District senator. Doria has since announced he will not seek another term.

Will Smith now embrace DeGise and Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy?

"I will embrace Sandra," Smith said yesterday while laughing. "I'm just relieved that I know where I am running and with whom."

So what else does Cunningham's decision mean?

What does Joe Doria do? Does he support the Cunningham ticket in the 31st District and by implication, Chiappone?

Several sources, in Bayonne and the rest of the county, say the Bayonne mayor has indicated backing for one or two people who will run on the Stack line, besides acting County Clerk Mary Jane Desmond who is running for the county post. The problem is that having people vote for candidates in two different columns is difficult.

As for the Stack think tank, many members are relieved that a decision was made. Several claim that as soon as Cunningham announced she was with the HCDO, they received a dozen phone calls from elected officials and others asking that they be allowed to run on their line against the HCDO in the 31st.

Stack had been expected to announce a line of candidates yesterday, had Cunningham decided to run with his team.

"Brian also respects Mrs. Cunningham and wanted to let her have the full week to decide what she was going to do, but we have had some people on hold until the announcement and now we can get on with putting this together," said one elected official on the Stack team. The anti-HCDO group is expected to formally announce a full county line of candidates before the end of next week.

The big question has been who will run against Cunningham in the 31st and against DeGise for the county executive seat. The answer for both seems to be Assemblyman Lou Manzo. It will depend on discussions for county executive. Most prominent among those who will be approached is Freeholder Bill O'Dea of Jersey City, who has been an antagonist of DeGise's county administration. Should O'Dea or another strong candidate surface, then Manzo will square off against Cunningham.

Stack, as the Senate candidate, and Hoboken Councilman Ruben Ramos and West New York Commissioner Claridad Rodriguez as Assembly running mates, are set in the 33rd District.

The HCDO is expected to run West New York Mayor Sal Vega against Stack, with possible Assembly running mates Frank Raia and one other - with Nicolle Garcia, wife of former Union City Mayor Rudy Garcia, and former Hoboken Councilwoman Carol Marsh among the possibilities mentioned.

Stack is also putting together a ticket in the 32nd District. His organization appears to be looking for a strong Jersey City candidate for the state Senate to run against Nick Sacco of North Bergen. Among the Assembly candidates being suggested are Mike Gonnelli of Secaucus, who is a rival of Mayor Dennis Elwell, and Anselmo Milan, who tried to unseat Harrison Mayor Raymond J. McDonough. Nothing is in stone yet.

Sheriff Joseph Cassidy is set as the anti-HCDO candidate who will seek re-election.

Meanwhile, DeGise and Healy announced that Cunningham joining the HCDO is the result of a strong working relationship between the two officials "to better serve the people in the county," or at least that is what their spokesman said.

Freeholder Maurice Fitzgibbons of Hoboken has often moaned that he would not seek re-election to the county post, and of course always winds up running.

Isn't it ironic that now Sen. Bernard Kenny is gone and Mayor Dave Roberts has announced he is not seeking re-election. It seems next year, Fitzgibbons will be serving a new mayor.

As for Roberts, his situation is worse than being a lame duck. He is a frozen duck and has lost control of the Mile Square City.

The majority of the City Council has come out supporting the Stack county ticket and fellow council member Ramos. It appears only Councilmen Nino Giacchi and Michael T. Cricco have not signed on with Ramos. Of course, Roberts is with the HCDO.

Council members say that the mayor has been offering to support anti-incumbent candidates in the upcoming municipal election and has been turned down by all except possibly Dawn Zimmer, who is described as a Michael Lenz candidate. This has ticked off most of the City Council.

As a side story, it seems that last summer it was mentioned to Roberts by county leaders that the county clerk's position might be open to Hoboken City Clerk James Farina. Told of this, Farina was set to go to a meeting with the HCDO powers only to be told that the offer had been pulled off the table.

Apparently never forgetting the slight, this week Farina obtained nominating petitions to run for county clerk. Most of the City Council signed his petition.