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Posted by Pepe Bonmot
on April 14, 2002 at 04:41:01:
Between the Lines Al Sullivan Former Jersey City Mayor Gerry McCann may have done it again - if the court validates his candidacy for freeholder in District 4. The trick McCann employed using the resources of Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham and freeholder candidate Eliu Rivera is among the oldest in Hudson County politics, and one nearly guaranteed to win. Some call it the Hudson County swerve, but political science majors know it better as splitting the vote. In this gambit, a political party deliberately fields a candidate that will not likely win a seat in order to steal away votes from a stronger candidate or, in this case, six-time incumbent Freeholder Nidia Davila-Colon. With two prominent Puerto Rican candidates vying for the vote, McCann takes advantage of the split vote by utilizing other segments of the population. This year's freeholder redistricting created a fundamental shift in the race and ethnicity of the 4th District's population. "Now there are as many Asians and blacks in that district as there are Puerto Ricans," McCann said during a telephone interview. Older working class whites - from which McCann has a strong following - are also well represented in the sections of Jersey City Heights that the 4th District inherited. "I'm going to win," McCann said confidently. Davila-Colon disputed the legality of his candidacy, saying McCann was "an old political hand" and that he should have had his petitions in on time. "But if the court allows him to run, I welcome the challenge," she said. As for McCann's past fraud conviction that forced him out of the Jersey City mayoralty in 1991, the state Supreme Court ruled last year that he can run for any office but mayor of Jersey City. The county conflict has spilled over into municipal activities. The April 8 Jersey City Council caucus lasted for five hours, filled with speech-making that resembled campaigns. When he heard that McCann was in the race against Davila-Colon, Jersey City Ward C Councilman Steven Lipski said: "Good; we'll kill them all at once." Ward E Councilman Mariano Vega, who was fired from his county job earlier this month in what was called a budget-cutting measure, contributed to the marathon caucus with long speeches. At one point, the gleeful Vega turned to a reporter and grinned. "This is fun, guys, and the fun has just begun," Vega said. The meeting also highlighted political favors Vega and Lipski expect to collect from their association with Congressman Bob Menendez and state Senator and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco. When confronted with New Jersey Transit's uncompromising position to continue blasting in the Heights for tunnel work, Lipski suggested that Sacco might be brought in to help resolve the situation. Vega, trumping his fellow-councilman with his federal clout, said they could call on Menendez to tackle NJ Transit. Vega and Lipski have sided with Sacco and Menendez in their fight for control of the county. They obviously will not hesitate to collect on their investment. Hoboken board prez supports a split ticket School elections in Hoboken, never a dull place, provided a new kink when David Anthony, president of the school board, declined to endorse a ticket. "I supported the candidates I thought would do a good job, not their political affiliations," he said, noting that the school district is in transition. While he believed seven candidates running are good people, he said, his support cut across party lines. Anthony, whose past runs were backed by former Mayor Anthony Russo, this year is supporting: City Director of Human ServicesCarmelo Garcia, who is backed by Mayor Dave Roberts; Carrie Gilliard, a former Russo person running this year as an independent; and John Raslowsky, the Roberts-supported principal of St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City. He chose them over former slatemate Robert Crespo (who used to be Russo's aide) and three independents. Anthony is up for re-election himself next year. Gilliard, the first black to serve on the school board, believed she had the support of the administration until it was too late for her to file an independent ticket, according to Anthony. Gilliard has the distinction of also running as a candidate for freeholder in the 5th District against freeholder incumbent Maurice Fitzgibbons. Ironically, in the school board race, one of those whom Gilliard is running against is Frances Rhodes Kearns, Fitzgibbons' cousin. Bits and pieces In Union City, Mayor Brian Stack has tapped his sole school board appointment, Tilo Rivas, to run for town commission. Union City has all five commissioners' seats up for election. Those five commissioners will then select one of their number to serve as mayor. Stack is expected to win easy re-election as a commissioner and as mayor. But he will need to replace Rivas on the school board, as well as appoint a second person. Political intrigue touched the Secaucus Democratic filing for council this week as all three incumbents filed at the last moment: Robert Kickey, Michael Grecco, and Fred Constantino. Although Secaucus Mayor Dennis Elwell denied rumors claiming he supported former candidate Joseph Kane for a primary run against incumbent Robert Kickey in the 2nd Ward, several people said Elwell and Kane had approached them for petition signatures. |
