Posted by Urban Times News on June 17, 2004 at 17:30:01:

Doria Backdoors Senate Seat

UTN Staff

Urban Times News
June 11, 2004 - June 17, 2004

The Hudson County Democratic Organization selected Joe Doria to fill the seat left by the death of the Honorable Glenn D. Cunningham. In a quote from the Jersey City Journal, Joe Doria stated, God works in mysterious ways, referencing the death of the beloved Jersey city mayor and his subsequent selection as the man to temporarily fill his position as some sort of divine intervention.

The Hudson County Democratic organizations handling of this appointment, topped with the self-righteous blasphemy of its I substitute Senator, clearly illustrates the need for this separate Democratic organization.

The Reform Democratic Committee Organization was formed by the Honorable Glenn D. Cunningham after winning the mayoral election, and instrumental in his capturing the Senate seat for the 31stlegislative district. The organization is a clear alternative to the dirty politics synonymous with Hudson County, so their response was not surprising, but no less appalling to Reform officials and constituents. The RDCO represents the interests of the people, and the goals of a man who shunned the old boy network to ensure that everyone would be included. His work is now systematically being undone on the local and the state level. The selection took place Wednesday June 9th in Bayonne New Jersey with no representatives from the Reform Democratic Committee Organization (RDCO) present.

Party leaders for the Reform Democrats site several reasons for their boycott:

1. The RDCO felt that the selection process and appointment should have waited the traditional 30 days for grieving over a lost Senator. Instead, the Democratic organization rushed to fill the position, not with a like-minded representative, but with a Menendez crony. The day of Cunninghams funeral, the HCDC was circulating letters announcing their intention to seek nominations for the deceased Mayors seat. In fact, Doria ran for this Senate seat before and constituents of the 31st legislative district resoundingly voted against him. Yet somehow none of this mattered.

2. The seat should have been offered to Sandra Bolden-Cunningham. Political tradition dictates that after the death of a state Senator, the position be filled by that Senators wife. This tradition has long survived among governing bodies and should have likewise been implemented by a more respectful Democratic organization. Instead the Hudson County Democrats took the opportunity to steal the seat. Mrs. Cunningham, working through her own grief, proactively sought and even spoke with Majority Leader Bernard Kenny before the nomination, making her interest in the seat known. Kenny placated her interest with the promise of returning with next steps. He has yet to return any calls. RDCO officials were not surprised when informed via fax that they too were invited to the meeting in Bayonne, but it was not to seek nominations, just to announce the old boys decisions.

3. The position has been held by African Americans its last two elections. The 31st legislative district was previously represented and vacated by the Honorable Joseph Charles when he was appointed a judge. Both Charles and Cunningham ran and won the position. Both were involved members of their own communities and respected participants affecting neighboring communities: Joe Charles as an influential lawyer and statesman; Glenn Cunningham as an influential law officer and mayor. Joe Doria does not deserve to be counted in that number. He has no connection to the majority of constituents that compose the 31st district, as shown when he lost the election. His political realm has included mainly Bayonne. And he has won and been elected to nothing. Yet, even the New Jersey State legislature site has removed the groundbreaking former Marine, Police Officer, Marshal, Mayor-Senator from their roster, listing Doria among the esteemed ranks as if hed earned his recognition like all the other Senators.

4. The seat should have been appointed to a Jersey City representative. Never before has a Jersey City Mayor held the post of state Senator. A Jersey City representative should have been considered for the role. Like Sharpe James in Newark, the duality of Cunningham as Mayor and Senator, particularly with the constituency of the second largest city in New Jersey behind him, did not bode well for the Hudson Democrats. They are already contained by the actions of a powerful Sharpe James. They had no intention of reestablishing such a political stronghold again. Another candidate might eventually be voted as the new mayor as well and again, the old boys would contend with powerful mavericks whose loyalty to the people was stronger than their loyalty to the Hudson Democrats.

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