June 13, 2007 - 10:12pm
Healy selected as HCDO Chair
By Matt FriedmanIt was a coronation in a divided Kingdom.
Tonight Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy officially took the throne – or podium, as it were -- as Chairman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.
“I want to thank all the mayors who ran behind me and all the candidates who ran last Tuesday, because without their help, I certainly wouldn’t be here,’ said Healy.
The HCDO’s reorganization conference went off almost without a hitch, and lasted less than 20 minutes. But the press release issued before the meeting stating that Healy was unanimously elected was wrong -- there was, in fact, one nay after the sea of ayes, even if it was uttered jokingly during the highly scripted event.
West New York Mayor Sal Vega was there, and he got a loud round of applause from the audience along with his running mates, Carol Marsh and Nicole Garcia. Vega brought along 36 West New York committee men and women. Sandra Cunningham, the 31st district Democratic nominee for state Senate, was absent during most of the proceeding, showing up at just afterwards for a short talk with Healy and to pose for pictures with enamored constituents.
The most notable thing about the conference was the people who weren’t there: Brian Stack and the County Committee men and women from Union City, who are said to be organizing their own conference.
After the conference, Healy struck a semi-conciliatory tone towards Brian Stack, but said he would not commit to any reconciliation just yet.
“After some sort of cooling off period,” said Healy, who did not know how long that period would be. “I have no personal animus towards Brian or anyone else…. I imagine everyone else who has run -- win, lose or draw -- is mature enough to do the same.”
County Executive Tom DeGise said that having the mayor of the county’s largest city as chairman was the “natural choice” for the organization and was overdue. He poked fun at Stack’s rumored choice.
“I understand the other guys are up there nominating Rich Turner. The Mayor of Weehawken? Give me a break. The Mayor of Weehawken doesn’t warrant the chairmanship of the party.”
DeGise went on to compare the local Democrats’ war to the a situation in final episode of The Sopranos -- a peace would have to be brokered by a neutral party -- in this case someone like Governor Corzine or Senator Menendez. But he reiterated Healy’s call for a “cooling off period,” and doubted that Stack’s organization would make further gains in Hudson County.
“You could declare yourself the king of England, but you can’t canoodle with the Queen,” he said.
Contributors
Wally Edge
Before he passed away last year, Rider University Professor David Rebovich was the most quoted man in New Jersey politics. The media, ... >
Bob Torricelli
One hesitates to quote Shakespeare to the Editors of The Record. The thought of all that dust rising from their library shelves is enough to make me ... >
Michael Patrick Carroll
Barack Obama offers a hard-left vision for America. He would take NJ's disastrous economic policies national, and the resulting economic ... >
Debbie Holtz
Selecting the next NJN anchor will certainly be a different process than what happens at the major networks, local affiliates and other public ... >
Steve Lonegan
Tibet – the broad, high plateau between India and China – is bigger than Western Europe and the source of the great rivers of Asia: the Indus, ... >
Dr. Joseph Marbach
For the past few weeks, I've watched with fascination as politician after politician have appeared on a beach or a boardwalk and declared their ... >
Rob Tornoe
To view more cartoons by Politicker.com editorial cartoonist Rob Tornoe, click here. >
Michael P. Riccards
Some time ago, I analyzed the Catholic vote and noted in passing how some members of the Church hierarchy, in places such as St. Louis and Colorado ... >
Joey Novick
Joey Novick from Politics Unusual spent the entire week live blogging from the Convention. Here are his daily posts, exclusive to PolitickerNJ.com. >
Juan Melli
During a gubernatorial debate in 2005, then-U.S. Sen. Jon Corzine was asked if he supported lowering the drinking age to 18.
"I think it is ... >
| Politicker INTERACTIVE | |
 |
The Pindell Report Keep up with the races in your state |
 |
Lawmaker Profile Follow the funding of your representatives |
 |
270 to Win Predict the road to the White House |
Top Tags
Most Active Stories
- Biden's son brings tears to the New Jersey delegation
- Myers slams Adler, DCCC
- Adler and Myers set to debate
- Congressman says Karl Rove is going to hell
- Even VP slot wouldn't budge Booker from Newark, says mayor
- Finally, a Springsteen concert Chris Christie will skip
- Shulman makes the rounds in Denver
- That Corzine sure can dance
- Menendez gets near the stage, shakes hands with Obama
- Yudin not included in McCain veterans event in Bergen
- Dr. Bones goes to Washington
- PoliticsNJ.com Power List 2007
- DOHERTY: NEW SCIENTIFIC DATA JUSTIFIES REPEALING GLOBAL WARMING RESPONSE ACT
- Eleven arrested in bribery scandal
- Lyndhurst GOP, nearly all of them, switching parties
- Lobbyist arrested
- Governor Paralysis
- Who is the best State Party Chairman in New Jersey
- KYRILLOS, BECK, KEAN & HANDLIN VOW WORK TO KEEP SEASTREAK FERRY UP AND RUNNING
- Torricelli on COAH
Quote of the Day
August 29, 2008
"Oh, I know, there will be quite a scrum if" - he pauses and then doesn't say anything about a federal appointment - "if I get hit by a truck. A second time."
Gov. Jon Corzine, speculating on the mass of potential gubernatoial candidates eager to take his place.
--- The Jersey Journal, 8/29/08
Recent Press Releases
- Aug 30 2008
- Aug 29 2008
In the News
Read the expanded Wake Up Call, our summary of today’s news media coverage.
Today’s Must Reads:
Politicker Poaches From Politico― News from Politicker.com
Xanadu bill footnote may weigh on Corzine― CHARLES STILE
Zoffinger not one to deny beliefs, avoid controversy― 'Codey's an idiot, and you can print that'
Welcome to New Jersey, Media Wasteland― NEW YORK OBSERVER
Divorce McGreevey style ― ALFRED DOBLIN
The judge got it right ― JAMES AHEARN
Capital Games― HERB JACKSON
Teen will get chance to sue a top N.J. judge ― ROBERTO RIVERA-SOTO
Mayor refusing to apologize for anti-Semitic slur ― WOODCLIFF LAKE
Court decision likely to have far-reaching implications in N.J. ― EMINENT DOMAIN
PolitickerNJ.com Jobs
Syndicate
Pretty cocky comments from a
Pretty cocky comments from a guy who does not control his own freeholder board.I was at the Stack event and he has no intention of making peace.Turner on the other hand will cave in next year to get Albio back on the line.All the Freeholder seats are up next year so that puts control of county govt.up for grabs.
They are going down
anyone still applauding Sal Vega is going down like Phil Leotardo
Hey Matt
Hey Matt, Get with the Program... if you are going to report on politics, at least spell their names correct.
WAS ARANGO THERE?
So now the Hudson County Republican Chairman works directly for the Hudson County Democrat Chairman. Arango's conflicts of interest have reached comical proportions. If Arango has even a shred of ethics left inside him, he will immediately resign either his party chairmanship or his position in the Healy administration. I'm not holding my breath, however.
hudsonconservative
"So now the Hudson County Republican Chairman works directly for the Hudson County Democrat Chairman."
Where have you been, my friend!? I've been saying this here for the last three months ad nauseum!
DeGise's statement towards Richard Turner's not warranting the chairmanship because he's from Weehawken is pretty scathing! I wonder if he felt that way about Javier Inclan who was only a Councilman in Guttenberg who became the party chairman after only serving half of a two year term and later went on to become County Clerk?
I love it when Dems fight. The hypocrisy gets so thick you can cut it with a knife!
"Any Nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one" -Alexander Hamilton
Except that
Except that Javier Inclan never was the County Democratic Chairman... I love it when Republicans are wrong.
RINOS
You think Arango has conflicts? What about Healy's Chief of Staff, aka "the bad son" or better "Flip that house"- Carl Czaplicki. who also serves as Executive Director of the Hudson County Republican Party. Could it get any cozier?
Dino, I don't think Inclan was ever Party Chair, maybe Exec Director but not chair.
FISTFIGHTS AND BEER
Just wonder when the next Healy fist fight will be or better still when the next Healyite drunk is going to drive over an innocent voter.?
NorthernPlight
Javier was Executive Director. Well, excuse me.
"Any Nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master and deserves one" -Alexander Hamilton
You're excused
but don't do it again <g>
You can't ignore Stack.
At some point the HCDO will come to it's senses and make peace with Union City. Stack is the future of the party, like it or not.
Stack
Stack is not the future of the Democratic party unless the party will be run behind bars!!!
UnonCityKid What?
It’s incredible how much machismo DeGuise is showing now. I still think he lacks Courage and he wants everyone to forget the “No Comment” statement he gave when he was asked about the sex offender campaigning for Mrs. Cunningham. Furthermore, he must be kissing Sacco’s hand since he knows that the 12,936 votes in the 32nd district help him get elected. He won by 11,033 votes more than Noemi Velasquez. She had a good chance to win only if she had money and if things were more balance at Election Day in Sacco’s District. The 32nd voted for Sacco because the HCDO asked them To Do It!! This is here and now and nothing will change the outcome. The only thing is that DeGuise is old and the HCDO will have to put a new candidate that is liked by all Hudson County voters. This will be very difficult since most of the 33rd District did not show up at the HCDO club meeting. Mr. Brian Stack finally organized the DFHC the same night Healy was put in as the HCDO leader. The DFHC candidates had a good chance to win and the Hudson County Mayors are aware of this. Stack is the future for the Democratic Party in Hudson County and maybe the State. Hey kid, you should not repeat what your elders are talking to each other. There is no proof it’s only hearsay. Don’t worry you will learn as you get older. For starters you should learn that you give a loud round of applause to a person that competed fairly and not to a LOOSER that used dirty tactics trying to win.