Christopher Campos

HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY -- After last evening’s forum, Christopher Campos today repeated his call to the Hoboken City Council to submit the recently released Hoboken Southwest Parks Coalition plan, SW6: A Greener, Greater Hoboken, to city planners to take under advisement and for incorporation into the next version of the Southwest Redevelopment plan to be submitted to the Council.

In her third run against Christopher Campos in a run-off for a Hoboken City Councol seat, Dawn Zimmer believes she has  finally found her campaign’s silver bullet.  Dawn Zimmer is a candidate on a mission. That mission? Stopping the streets of Hoboken from being overrun with tomatoes -- tomatoes she claims are grown from undigested seeds found in the fecal matter of raw  sewage that overflows during flooding.

At a news conference today held at the corner of 6th and Jackson, former Hoboken Councilman Chris Campos wanted to make sure that he had his own ward appear behind him – a housing project, not the relatively new and up-market apartment building across the street in the neighboring ward.

“That’s my ward, that’s what I represent,” he told the cameraman, pointing to the drab brick building.

The point was obvious. Campos, who grew up in a housing project nearby, was a home town guy. Now, after losing a runoff election against Hoboken newcomer Dawn Zimmer, who moved here five years ago, he’s facing her for a third time after she agreed to step aside and run again rather than battle Campos’s in court. Now Campos is clawing his way back to the seat that he thinks is rightfully his.

A Superior Court Judge today ordered that the two parties in Campos v. Zimmer reach a consent agreement in their post election municipal election standoff in Hoboken.

That means former Councilman Christopher Campos and, as or today, former Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer, the woman who squeaked out a victory over him in June, are scheduled to go head-to-head again.

It appears Dawn Zimmer has won enough votes to be the new councilperson in Hoboken's Fourth Ward, but Councilman Christopher Campos isn't ready to concede just yet. 

Campos on Wednesday said he lost Tuesday's runoff election by six votes after the Hudson County Clerk's office tallied the provisional ballots.

The Hoboken Clerk was waiting for the results from the county early Wednesday afternoon.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Campos said he had learned of his loss.

It was looking bad for Councilman Christopher Campos in the Fourth Ward Tuesday, though the embattled kid from the Marshall Drive neighborhood came back at the end of the night to stand on the steps of Hoboken City Hall, savoring the sense of holding off defeat for at least one night.

"Keep the faith," he cried to his red-shirted supporters. "Keep the strength. I love you!"

He’s still in it pending City Clerk’s James Farina’s perusal tomorrow of the provisional ballots. Challenger and community activist Dawn Zimmer holds a slight edge: 870 to 863.

Today is Election Day in Hoboken and Hackensack, where voters will return to the polls for a runoff contest of Council races from the May non-partisan elections.

The three Hoboken runoff elections scheduled for today, June 12, are as follows:

Ward Four: Councilman Christopher Campos takes on challenger Dawn Zimmer.

Ward Five: Peter Cunningham faces Perry Belfiore.

Ward Six: Councilman Angelo "Nino" Giacchi takes on challenger Thomas Foley.

Hoboken residents in Ward 4 will go to the polls Tuesday to break a deadlock election result from last month when Councilman Christopher Campos failed to gain the requisite 50% + 1 against challenger Dawn Zimmer.

Campos received 746 votes to Zimmer's 609, as the two opponents soundly beat the other Ward 4 contenders, Freddie B. Frazier and Anthony Mussara.

Now it's just Campos and Zimmer.

The breakdown for all ward contests in Hoboken are as follows:

In Ward One, Councilwoman Theresa Castellano is facing a challenge from Ron Rosenberg.

In Ward Two, community activist Beth Mason and retired fire chief Richard Tremittiedi are vying for a seat now occupied by Richard Del Boccio, who is not running for re-election after 17 years on the governing body.

In Ward Three, Councilman Michael Russo is facing Frank "Pupie" Raia.

In Ward Four, Councilman Christopher Campos is running against Freddie Frazier, Anthony Mussara and Dawn Zimmer.

In Ward Five, Perry Belfiore, Peter Cunningham and Scott Delea are fighting to succeed Councilman Michael T. Cricco.

In Ward Six, Councilman Angelo "Nino" Giachhi faces a challenge from Thomas Foley and William Noonan.