Dawn Zimmer

4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer campaigns in Hoboken today.

HOBOKEN - The outcome of Peter Cammarano versus Dawn Zimmer could hinge on absentee ballots - there are 775 of them - or it could be the weather - the latest reports say a 6 p.m. deluge.

If Cammarano has cornered old Hoboken - an unfortunate term, admittedly, but useful in identifying a voting bloc here - then late rain pouring with two hours until the polls close could hit Zimmer harder than Cammarano.

The at-large councilman claims a chunk of those votes, to be sure, but Zimmer has sought with a pure reform slogan to be the champion of transient Manhattan workadays looking to build a home in the mile square city.

In any event, Zimmer works hard in the closing moments of her runoff with Cammarano.

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 City Hall

The Dawn Zimmer campaign has framed the game as staus quo versus change while Peter Cammarano's camp has basically taken a "just watch the debates" tack, arguing the edge in terms of qualifications and competence.

Tomorrow the forces of the 4th Ward councilwoman and the at-large councilman will clash to determine who will succeed embattled Mayor Dave Roberts, who saddled Hoboken with a 47% tax increase and in the process gave attorney Cammarano his campaign slogan as the only candidate in the race who opposed the state takeover that led to the hike.

As the last reformer standing in this race who two years ago ran in outright opposition to the Roberts era, photographer Zimmer in this special runoff election tomorrow competes with the backing of 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason.

Zimmer is the only mayoral candidate running at the head of the same council slate with which she started the race: Dave Mello, Carol Marsh and Ravi Bhalla.

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland)

Senate President Richard Codey (D-Roseland) endorsed At-Large Councilman Peter Cammarano for mayor this morning at the Marion Towers senior citizen building.
 
"Peter is a rising star in the State Democratic Party and an outstanding young leader," said Codey. "He's intelligent, thoughtful and exactly the kind of person we need in government today.  I know he'll be an excellent mayor and I urge all of my friends in Hoboken to support him on Tuesday."

Honored to receive Codey's endorsement, Cammarano called the former governor, "a real champion for taxpayers, senior citizens, families and all New Jersey residents."

Cammarano is competing for the mayor's job against 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer.

HOBOKEN – Having vanquished 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason in the May 12th election, At-Large Councilman Peter Cammarano and 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer are now in a runoff election to be decided on June 9th.

The antagonists are scheduled to debate each other this eveing at Our Lady of Grace School, according to the Jersey Journal. The event begins at 7:30 p.m.

Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) today told PolitickerNJ.com that a published report that he intends to support 4th Ward Councilwoman Dawn Zimmer in the June 9th  Hoboken runoff election is inaccurate.

“There is absolutely no truth to that report,” said Lesniak. “I’m giving no money and no endorsement.”

Lesniak said he has no intention of backing Zimmer, who’s running against At-Large Councilman Peter Cammarano, who today picked up the endorsement of former mayoral candidate Ryn Melberg.

Sources say Lesniak flirted with the idea of supporting Zimmer, then retreated.

Assemblyman/Councilman Ruben Ramos (D-Hoboken)

Assemblyman/Councilman Ruben Ramos, Jr. endorsed Councilman Peter Cammarano for mayor of Hoboken, the Cammarano campaign announced this weekend. 

"After serving the past two years on the City Council with both Peter Cammarano and Dawn Zimmer, it's very clear to me that Peter is far more qualified, more professional and much better prepared to be our next mayor," Ramos said in a statement.  "I am very proud to endorse Peter and I will be working very hard to help him win this election. 

“Peter is clearly the more competent candidate,” Ramos added. “He has a much better grasp of the issues and he is much more decisive. Zimmer has a real problem making decisions. Her abstention on this year's city budget was just baffling. This budget was prepared by the state, not the mayor. As a councilmember, you must vote yes or no.  You can't abstain, it's just indefensible."

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.