JERSEY CITY -- State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) today formally endorsed Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy for reelection at a press conference at City Hall today.

“Let us do the residents of this city a favor and put politics aside, put personalities aside, and join with me and put Jersey City first,” Cunningham said. 

The endorsement is important for Healy, who is counting on Cunningham, the widow of the late former mayor Glenn D. Cunningham, to deliver him a substantial portion of the city’s African-American vote in the non-partisan May 12 election. 

Healy is running against former Assemblyman Lou Manzo, who ran against Cunningham for state Senate in 2007; current Assemblyman L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City), the former acting mayor and city council president who, despite an icy relationship with Glenn Cunningham, ran on the HCDO ticket with Sandra Cunningham in 2007; good government activist Dan Levin and police detective Phil Webb. 

Cunningham flirted with a mayoral bid for much of 2008, forcing Healy to cut deals with her to keep her out of the race and win today’s endorsement, the latest of which involved keeping Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne), a close ally to Cunningham, on the Hudson County Democratic Organization’s line in the June primary.

Cunningham said that Healy had been helpful supporter on issues of important to their constituents in Trenton, including the Urban Transit Hub Credit Bill, The Business Employment Incentive Program and the One-Gun-a-Month Bill, which stalled in the state Senate in February.

Healy echoed the sentiment about Cunningham being a good legislative partner and plainly said that the endorsement was an influential one.  

“I am thrilled to have this important endorsement.  We think it’s going to go a long way to help us with our effort on May 12,” he said. 

As he has frequently done throughout his campaign, Healy reminded those in attendance that he – and in this case Cunningham as well – was an early supporter of President Obama. 

“The Senator and I worked very hard for a very important election that occurred November 4, and this city came out 84% for the new President of the United States, our friend sitting down at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue – the first time we can say that in about 60 years,” he said.

When asked why she spent months mulling a challenge against Healy if she was satisfied with his performance, Cunningham said that she was asked by citizens of Jersey City to run. 

“I love Jersey City.  I’m committed to Jersey City.  It is only natural that I would consider doing it myself,” she said.

As Cunningham explained that she cannot be mayor and state senator at once, the makeshift podium she was using collapsed with a loud bang. 

“That’s Glenn telling me I can be,” she said.