WHO’S UP

Ras Baraka

Not only did the Mayor of Newark have the entire planet with him at his kickoff on the steps of City Hall (well, there were a few people who didn’t attend, and we can name them), but he also delivered a compelling speech. Manly, committed, poetic, impassioned – it was everything you don’t ordinarily hear in contemporary American oratory.

Tom DeGise

The Hudson County Executive raised $156,000 last night toward his 2019 reelection bid at his Son Cubano party in West New York. The guests included Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) friends U.S. Senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker and Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy.

Mike DeFusco

Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer’s announcement this week that she won’t run for reelection places the councilman in a good spot. We’re not saying he’s going to win, or even calling him the front-runner. But he is the mayoral candidate who had the guts to put himself out there early and challenge Zimmer – and now she’s gone.

Brian P. Stack

Look, we understand that Hoboken is a local matter and the winner of November’s election may turn out to be the person who simply pounded the pavement hardest. And yes, it’s also true that Zimmer burned Stack by getting him to stand behind her and then, without warning, pulling the plug on her run. But everyone in Hoboken is falling over himself or herself to get to the ring on the pinky finger of the 33rd District boss right now, and the HCDO is formally staying out of it while Stack decides on his best course. He’s in the catbird seat.

Vinny Prieto

The Speaker of the General Assembly could dance on the grave of Governor Chris Christie’s and South Jersey Democratic boss George Norcross’ Horizon raid, which gives him traction toward saving his speakership. If he uses this fight with a 15% approval rating-saddled lame duck governor and the state’s most powerful regional boss to prove that Assemblyman Craig Coughlin would, in the end, simply be an instrument of Norcross World, he might be able to squeeze out another two years as speaker.

ALL EYES ON HIM

Joe Vitale

This is delicate work. The state senator from Woodbridge and chairman of the Senate Health and  Human Services Committee is right now trying to cobble together a compromise bill that will break the death roll of Horizon, Christie, and South Jersey Democratic pooh-bah Norcross. If he succeeds , he might just save the speakership for slate mate Coughlin (see below).

WHO’S DOWN

Gayle Chaneyfield-Jenkins

The Central Ward Councilwoman is mulling a 2018 run for mayor of Newark, but that was too much power on display at Baraka’s kickoff yesterday. It’s not just the party establishment, it’s the coming together of the establishment and real people who exhibit real passion. That is an infrequent combination in politics, and seldom ever on display in New Jersey politics. Very tough too for the councilwoman was the presence at the event of Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Murphy, form whom she labored during the pre-primary season as Baraka backed Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop.

Dawn Zimmer

They loved her, but the retiring Hoboken mayor’s base is mad at her right now. They wanted her to run for mayor again and now face the prospect of a held-together decade-old constituency crumbing in her aftermath. Councilman Ravi Bhalla – who has an edge with Zimmer’s endorsement -and Council President Jen Giattino are trying to hash out a deal so they don’t perforate each other’s chances to succeed the mayor.

Craig Coughlin

Jittery. That’s how the Assemblyman from Woodbridge must have felt as GN3 and a 15%-fetid governor tried to ramrod a dead on arrival Horizon raid option for the state budget that died in  the caucus. Vitale’s trying to cobble together a compromise (see above) but in the meantime Prieto appears rejuvenated as the leader of the Democratic caucus.

Chris Campos

The former Hoboken Council President faces up to 50 years in prison following the ruling of a federal jury finding him guilty of bank and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.  Read the US Attorney’s statement here.

Shahin Khalique

Judge Ernest Caposela invalidated twenty-two ballots in the Paterson’s 2nd Ward election fraud case.  The victor, incumbent Councilman Khalique, had won in May 2016 by twenty votes against then-Councilman Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman. Developing.