Beth Mason

The push to dislodge Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano from office continued today, as the executive committee of the Hoboken Democratic Party unanimously called on the mayor to resign.

Chaired by Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken), the committee asked Cammarano to leave "for the good of the Democratic Party, and the good of the people of Hoboken whom Mayor Cammarano has sworn to serve."

The feds have charged Cammarano, in office for less than a month, with taking cash bribes totaling $25,000. 

According to a release, local Democrats will convene a special meeting of the party at 8 p.m. on Monday, August 10, at Willie McBride's, 616 Grand Street, to adopt a formal resolution calling for Cammarano's resignation.

Councilwoman Beth Mason

Second Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason on Friday called for the resignation of Mayor Peter Cammarano, who on Thursday was charged in federal court with extortion.

In a brief statement before the cameras at City Hall yesterday morning, Cammarano said he has no intention of resigning, and looks forward to overcoming the "baseless" allegations detailed in the feds' criminal complaint.

Mason just wants him to go.  

"Like many residents I am shocked by the allegations leveled against Mayor Cammarano," said Mason. "As someone who has always advocated for open, inclusive and transparent government, I believe it is in the best interests of the people of Hoboken for Mayor Cammarano to resign his office immediately. While Mayor Cammarano is entitled to his day in court, his refusal to step down is both disturbing and arrogant.

HOBOKEN - If Mayor Peter Cammarano resigns amid federal corruption charges and Hoboken holds a special election, sources say Council President Dawn Zimmer - who lost a runoff election to Cammarano in June - would be the favorite to win.

Councilman Michael Russo, whose own father, Anthony, was jailed in 2004 on corruption charges in connection with his time as mayor from 1993 to 2001, is also another potential candidate for mayor. 

The young Russo's name went into circulation late Thursday afternoon.

Russo had contemplated a run at the empty mayor's seat earlier this year but backed down when internal polls showed him failing to gain traction beyond the 3rd Ward.

He ended up backing 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason.

When he allegedly accepted $5,000 in cash for his campaign, then-Hoboken mayoral candidate Peter Cammarano told a cooperating witness, "In this election, we are breaking the world into three categories at that point (in the event he won).

"There's the people who were with us, and that's you guys. There's the people who climbed on board in the runoff. They can get in line. And then there are the peole who were against us the whole way. They get ground ...they get ground into powder."

One of those people opposing the man who ultimately won that runoff election in early June and became mayor was 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason, whom Cammarano defeated in the May non-partisan contest to force his later runoff with Counciolwoman Dawn Zimmer.

"Right now I'm sad," said Mason. "I'm sad for Hoboken. I'm sad the city is going through another situation like this. I've been fighting pay-to-play and advocating open government for years. I've seen it across the state. This is an issue I felt so strongly about that I ran for office and put forth legislation to make the process more open and transparent."

Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano

HOBOKEN - Hoboken Now reports that Hoboken Mayor Peter Cammarano assumed the oath of office today shortly before the council unanimously elected 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer as council president.

While Cammarano defeated Zimmer in a run-off election last month, the councilwoman's three running mates won in the earlier May 12th election.

Second Ward Councilwoman (and failed mayoral candidate) Beth Mason's endorsement of Zimmer over Cammarano in the runoff signaled her alliance with Zimmer and yet another Zimmer vote on the council.

It was Mason who nominated Zimmer today for council president, according to Hoboken Now. 

"The days of Tammany Hall and manipulated elections were supposed to belong to another century. We are now in the 21st Century but we seem to be suffering from 19th Century election problems,”

Runoffs in Hoboken, Hillside and Jersey City will dominate politics in New Jersey today. These races are technically non-partisan, although in some cases party organizations are playing an important role in these races.

Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer and Councilman Peter Cammarano meet in a runoff to become the 37th Mayor of Hoboken.  The two-term incumbent, David Roberts, did not seek re-election.

Zimmer was the top vote getter in the May municipal election four weeks ago, edging out Cammarano by 212 votes, 3,614-3,402.  Councilwoman Beth Mason, who finished third in a field of six candidates with 2,330 votes, has endorsed Zimmer.  The Hudson County Democratic establishment, and Senate President Richard Codey, has endorsed Cammarano, who is an attorney at the firm of Democratic power lawyer Angelo Genova.

Three Hoboken City Council seats will also be decided in today's runoff election.  Ravi Bhalla, Carl Marsh and Dave Mello, running with Zimmer, face Cammarano's running mates, Vinny Addeo, Angel Alicea, and Raul Morales.  Addeo and Morales originally ran with Mason.

In Hillside, Councilman Jerome Jewell and businessman Joseph Menza compete in a runoff for Mayor.  Last month, Jewell led Menza by 201 votes, 1,368-1,167 in a field of four candidates  Jewell has the strong backing of Hillside Democratic Municipal Chair Charlotte DeFilippo, who is the Union County Democratic Chair.  The Democratic Governors Association has put $10,400 into this campaign.  Three Councils seats are also up for grabs. Mayor Karen McCoy Oliver is not seeking re-election.

In Jersey City, where Mayor Jerramiah Healy won a landslide re-election last month, two incumbents who ran on the Healy slate will compete in a runoff election for City Council seats.  Ward A Councilman Michael Sottolano faces Rolando Lavarro, and Ward F Councilwoman Viola Richardson is challenged by Ronnie-Calvin Clark.  Lavarro and Clark ran with mayoral candidate Louis Manzo.

Two Republican County Chairmen are fighting to keep their jobs tonight.  In Gloucester County, incumbent Loran Oglesby faces Bill Fey, and in Passaic County, Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R-Wayne) is seeking re-election against Carl Mazzie, a Totowa attorney allied with former GOP County Chairmen Peter Murphy and Michael Mecca.

Salem County Republican Chairman Paul Reed has decided not to run for another term.  Former Freeholder Michael Facemyer is running unopposed for the post

Hoboken mayoral candidate Peter Cammarano

HOBOKEN - A day after former mayoral candidate Beth Mason endorsed his rival in the runoff, At-Large Councilman Peter Cammarano struck back today with the announcement that Mason’s former running mates – council candidates Vincent Addeo and Raul Morales, Jr. - will run with him on his slate in his June 9th contest with Dawn Zimmer.

"I know Vinny and Raul very well and I know they share my commitment to cutting taxes and changing the way City Hall does business," Cammarano said in a statement. "We have the same practical goals.  We want to overhaul city government, protect our families and our neighborhoods and make this great City an even better place."

The Addeo-Morales endorsement means Cammarano (whose own ticket mate from the first ballot, Angel Alicea, also made the runoff) will face Zimmer and her three council candidates with a full slate.

Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer

Fourth Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer today happily accepted the endorsement of 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason as she readies for her June 9th mayoral runoff with At-Large Councilman Peter Cammarano.

“I am very pleased,” Zimmer told PolitickerNJ.com. “We have differed on some issues but we share the same goals. We both believe in the overall goal of trying to bring Hoboken together. Beth brings a momentum to my campaign and helps brings the reform/progressive community together.”

Final results out of last Tuesday's first ballot mayor's race showed Zimmer receiving 3,614 votes, followed by Cammarano with 3,402 to both make the runoff; followed by Mason with 2,330 votes.

Councilwoman Beth Mason

In an unorthodox endorsement announcement, Councilwoman Beth Mason today threw her support behind Dawn Zimmer for Mayor and Vincent Addeo, Raul Morales II and Ravi Bhalla for City Council in the June 9 runoff election.

By so doing, Mason essentially backed a two-each fusion ticket of team members from both her own and the Zimmer slates, and shunned those left standing on the Cammarano Team and two of Zimmer's other running mates.   

“Last Tuesday, Hoboken voters cried out for a much-needed change in the way our government works, and whom it works for,” Mason said. “I remain firmly committed to the idea of a ‘One Hoboken’ ticket to deliver the change the public demands. I wholeheartedly endorse Zimmer, Addeo, Morales and Bhalla, and encourage all my supporters to do whatever they can to help elect this new team for One Hoboken.” 

The criss-crossing down ballot endorsement of Mason's two still-standing running mates (Addeo and Morales) as well as one of Zimmer's three running mates in Ravi Bhalla, left Zimmer allies Carol Marsh and Dave Mello without Mason's backing.

And, of course, left Cammarano and his down ballot competitor still in the contest, Angel Alicea, bereft of Mason love.