Is it true that Councilan Fulop announced over this past weekend he is a candidate for Mayor in 2009?

Who's in the parade?

By Al Sullivan
Hudson Reporter
03/24/2008

Parades are, for politicians, what marathons are for long distance runners. So it was no great surprise that this year's St. Patrick's Day parade in Bayonne drew a host of political heavyweights from inside and outside the city limits.

For Bayonne, with its still-large Irish population, the parade is a huge event, drawing from nearly every level of government.

But under the surface of this year's parade, the drama of upcoming elections stirred.

Whispered campaigns over who will run for freeholder, mayor, or even congressman moved through the crowd as locals studied the faces of the leaders.

It mattered who walked with whom.

When retired Bayonne Municipal Judge Patrick Conaghan made a point of walking with newly elected Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez, people took notice.

Conaghan is expected to announce shortly whether he will run for mayor of Bayonne again, in a November special election.

Others names in the parade were touted as possible candidates, including interim Mayor Terrence Malloy, Police Director Mark Smith, and former Councilwoman (and former County Clerk) Mary Jane Desmond.

State Assemblyman and Bayonne Councilman Anthony Chiappone could influence who gets elected since it is a winner-take-all event. Unlike regular municipal elections, in which a candidate must win 50 percent plus one vote to get named the winner (sometimes resulting in no clear winner and a runoff election), the special election will be decided by a simple majority, or whoever gets the most votes.

Perez, wearing his big white cowboy hat, is in the middle of restructuring the sheriff's department, although some old names such as Ed Monte appear to have come back into favor after more than a decade on the outs with former Sheriff Joe Cassidy.

Bobby Knapp of the Sheriff's Department recently confirmed that the state Attorney General's office has pulled records from the department as part of an investigation into overtime during the Cassidy administration.

Insiders believe Cassidy is being railroaded, since the overtime was approved by supervisors, not his office.

Meanwhile, Sheriff's officers are expected to vote on a new contract, and there appears to be some division in the ranks.

Newly elected Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith recently went from being an undersheriff to chief warrant officer. This means that when he comes knocking on your door, he could be seeking either votes or to deliver a subpoena.

State Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham also marched in the Bayonne parade. In the last two years, she has emerged as one of the great political forces in the county. Her ability to get her vote out will have a huge impact on the Jersey City mayoral election next year.

While traditional wisdom claims you cannot transfer votes - meaning people may be willing to vote for you, but not always for a person you recommend - this might be different in Cunningham's case. It means that whoever wants to be mayor of Jersey City next year is going to have to come to an agreement with Cunningham.

The field of candidates for Jersey City mayor in 2009 includes former Jersey City Mayor Bret Schundler, young Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop, former Assemblyman Louis Manzo, and incumbent Mayor Jerramiah Healy.

Healy and his wife Maureen also marched in the Bayonne parade, suggesting a unity with Cunningham.

Healy, of course, is looking over his shoulder at both Fulop and Schundler. This may explain why Healy recently hired the same political consultant firm that helped Gov. Jim McGreevey beat Schundler in the 2001 gubernatorial race.

Warming up for Jersey City

In some ways, the Bayonne parade on March 16 - which went on for almost two miles - was a bit of a warmup for the two-block-long parade in Jersey City on March 17.

The downtown Jersey City event is very popular, as the two-block stretch is closed off and crowds gather to cheer or jeer.

Fulop paraded in the company of people from Gary's Sweet Shop - a west side political hangout - hinting that Fulop may be stretching his political wings to run a citywide race for mayor next year.

Gary's has become on of the Sunday morning gathering place of politicos, but far across town from Fulop's ward.

The parade on March 17 allowed politicians to work up a sweat for two blocks before settling into PJ Ryan's for a cold brew.

Manzo opens public advocacy office

Picking up where he left off as state assemblyman for the 31st District, Louis Manzo opened his office on West Side Avenue in Jersey City to help residents of Bayonne and Jersey City cope with the complicated issues of Social Security, rebates, and other local, state, and federal issues residents might face.

Manzo, who also kicked off a TV show on public access television, hopes to become an advocate for residents on a variety of issues that include support for state programs such as the PAAD prescription program.

Manzo said he is seeking to use what he learned from his years as a freeholder, state assemblyman, and public health officer to benefit local residents, especially senior citizens.

"Anyone who needs help about anything should contact my office," he said.

Manzo can be reached at (201) 946-7070.