DEMS SAVOR WINS
Sandy and Stack capture Senate seats

Wednesday, November 07, 2007
By JASON FINK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITERS

Sandra Bolden Cunningham of Jersey City was elected last night to the state Senate seat once held by her late husband, the city's first African-American mayor, leading the expected sweep by the Democrats in legislative and county races.

With only token opposition in independent Louis Vernotico, Cunningham and her Assembly running mates - Hudson County Undersheriff L. Harvey Smith and Bayonne City Councilman Anthony Chiappone - won the vote to represent the 31st District, which includes all of Bayonne and parts of Jersey City.

About 25 people greeted Cunningham at her campaign headquarters on Martin Luther King Drive just minutes after the polls closed at 8 p.m. She was received warmly, with kisses and hugs from her supporters.

"This seemed a lot easier today," she told supporters. "We really won our battle in June, and it's amazing we did. It's a testament to who we are and what we stand for. The cream always rises to the top."

Cunningham defeated Assemblyman Lou Manzo in the June primary.

She said her biggest priority in the Senate will be improving health care.

"We've been fighting to save Bayonne and Greenville hospitals," she said. "That's a major area for me."

Union City Mayor and Assemblyman Brian Stack, who defeated the Hudson County Democratic Organization's choice in a bitter primary in June, won the 33rd District Senate seat with no opposition, as did his running mates, Hoboken City Councilman Ruben Ramos and Caridad Rodriguez.

Stack was greeted by enthusiastic applause from more than 100 supporters at his campaign headquarters on 38th Street in Union City when he came in about 25 minutes after the polls closed.

"I want to thank everyone for the hard work they've done," Stack said. "We've built a community that's one large family, and it shows."

Stack said his top priorities will be property tax reform, protecting Abbott school districts and health care.

"It's not about building a political machine, it's about helping people."

In the 32nd District, the only legislative contest that featured Republican candidates, all the incumbents - Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco and Assembly members Joan Quigley of Jersey City and Vincent Prieto of Secaucus - easily won re-election.

They beat John Pluchino for Senate and Edward T. O'Neill and Jacob Hahn for Assembly.

County Executive Tom DeGise was re-elected to his second full term, beating Republican Agha M. Khan and independent Herbert H. Shaw, a perennial gadfly who ran on the slogan Politicians Are Crooks/Politicos Son Corruptos.

Democrat Juan Perez was elected the new county sheriff, beating Republican Gregory Rivera. The current sheriff, Joseph Cassidy, was defeated by Perez in the primary.

Barbara Netchert, who was named county clerk when the previous clerk, Javier Inclan, took a job in Gov. Jon Corzine's administration, was elected as a Democrat, defeating David Solari, the Republican.

In a race to complete the term of 7th District Hudson County freeholder, left vacant when Sal Vega became mayor of West New York and 33rd District assemblyman, Jose Munoz, the Democrat, beat Vasilios Scoullos.