Dougherty defeats Cresitello in resounding fashion

MORRISTOWN - Tim Dougherty's team figured the election hinged on voters in the 2nd Ward, where African-American leaders in the campaign's waning hours made targeted calls from Dougherty campaign headquarters.

Mayor Donald Cresitello's people were working the phones, too.

"But you look at us, at our operation, we've got a people's campaign," said Dougherty, an engineer at the Prudential Center and Zoning Board chairman, who forged a political alliance with proven vote-generator At-Large Councilwoman Michelle Harris-King.

That community support proved much deeper than simply some swing votes in one of Morristown's four wards, with a depth reflecting Dougherty's earliest campaign poll showing extreme vulnerability for Cresitello, who in office attempted to give himself raises and stirred controversy in his desire for more federal enforcement of immigration laws.

Dougherty defeated Cresitello by a landslide margin in this Democratic Primary, 62.46% to 37.48%, or 1,105 to 663 votes. He stands to win the general election in a town where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans, 3,604 to 1,499, but his comfort level may depend in part on building peace with Cresitello.

That may prove difficult, as the campaign here proved one of the most acrimonius of the season.

Aligned with the incumbent mayor and the victim of a hardbore negative campaign against him, which featured opponents wearing T-shirts bearing a snapshot of his 2006 youtube video bar fight, Council President John Cryan also lost with 13.88% of the vote.

Harris-King and local buisnessman Kevin Gsell won on the Dougherty slate with 27.46% and 24.87% of the vote respectively. Cresitello ally Councilman Anthony Cattano landed the Democrats' nomination for the third at-large council seat with 17.38%.

Another Cresitello ally, Chris O'Brien, like Cryan, failed with 16.39%. 

In the lead-up to the final moments before the polls closed, Dougherty supporters spilled out of the bar and campaign HQ onto the sidewalk where Dougherty maintained a visible presence.

Cresitello radiated confidence in his digs on the other side of the street. He was, however, unhappy about some of the Dougherty campaign's tactics in the 2nd ward.

"They damaged my reputation," said the mayor. "They called me a rascist."

But Dougherty would end up defeating Cresitello everywhere, not simply in what both campaigns figured was the battleground 2nd, home to the town's projects.

The challenger denied playing too rough.

"I traveled streets in this town that have been neglected for too long," he said. "At the very least, whatever happens tonight, I know we have run a people's campaign, an historic campaign, where we have respected the people and listened to the people. It just breaks my heart to think that sometime tonight I may have to go and tell them that we came up short."

It turned out, Dougherty never had to worry about that.