Mary Jane Desmond

BAYONNE - U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) arrives in Bayonne.

State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson), U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1), and Jackie Andrews. 

BAYONNE - When U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews gets out of his car in front of the Catholic War Veterans Post 1612 on 23rd Street, his allies greet his appearance with an enthusiasm that runs into a wall of Lautenberg motley across the street.

The two sides have been trading scattered verbal chest thumps for about a half an hour, with the level of public discourse never rising above the likes of, "Who’s washed up? Lautenberg. Who’s washed up? Lautenberg," versus "Who’s going to lose? Andrews. Who’s going to lose? Andrews!"

Now that U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) challenger in Tuesday’s Democratic Senate Primary lands on the scene, the smaller Andrews camp tries unsuccessfully to drown out a renewed frenzy of put-downs coming from the other side.

BAYONNE - Speaking to a crowd of about 60 Bayonne residents at the Catholic War Veterans Post on 23rd Street Saturday, state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) explained why she's supporting Andrews for U.S. Senate.

Moments later, Andrews recognized his daughter, Jackie, and told the crowd he had brought her along in part to meet women of courage like Cunningham. 

While their tickets wage war, Hudson County Clerk candidates Mary Jane Desmond and Barbara Netchert are unfailingly polite to each other.

“I ran into (Netchert). I went right up to her when she was coming up the steps and said ‘this may be awkward over the next couple months but I prefer that it not be,” said Acting County Clerk Mary Jane Desmond, a former Bayonne City Councilwoman and one time Republican . “I sat at her table for 20 minutes talking to her. This is not personal.”