Jerramiah Healy

Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski, facing charges of public urination, won't seek re-election in May.

Jersey City Ward C Councilman Steve Lipski, who in November made international headlines for allegedly urinating on Washington, DC concertgoers from a balcony, this week formally announced in a letter to the Jersey Journal that he will not seek reelection to his council seat. 

"I need to step back because I did not manage my life well. I let alcohol, at times, become a fix for the stress I was experiencing, and my poor judgment resulted in numerous problems and indescribable embarrassment to the position I hold and to me personally,” he wrote to the paper.  “I am stepping back to deal with these issues.” 

If State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City) was running for Mayor of Jersey City, then State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Elizabeth) wouldn't have attended Mayor Jerramiah Healy's campaign kickoff last night.

The speculation that State Senator Sandra Cunningham will run for Mayor of Jersey City in 2009 is likely over, even though Cunningham has not yet announced her plans.  The attendance of one of her close friends and political allies, State Senator Raymond Lesniak, at a rally for Mayor Jerramiah Healy last night is a clear signal that Cunningham will not run. 

Former Assemblyman Louis Manzo, a candidate for Mayor of Jersey City, today announced three City Council candidates who will run on his slate in the May municipal election: former Jersey City Housing Authority Chair Lori Serrano will run At-Large, retired Jersey City Police Sergeant Jim Carroll will seek the Ward D seat against incumbent William Gaughan, and former Hudson County Undersheriff Jimmy King will challenge incumbent Steve Lipski in Ward C.

Manzo is making his sixth bid for Mayor.  He lost races in 1992, 1993, 2001, 2004, and 2005.

Then-31st District state Senate candidate Lou Manzo makes his pitch on the campaign trail in 1997.

Jersey City Mayoral candidate Lou Manzo issued a release today unveiling the first three of nine city council candidates committed to running on his slate.

Those candidates are attorney/cop Jim Carroll in Ward D; civic association leader Jimmy King in Ward C; and Public Schools Principal Account Clerk Lori Serrano for an at-large seat.

“These three candidates represent samplings of our diverse city,” said Manzo, a former assemblyman who ran for the state senate in 1997 and lost to state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson). “Clearly, this ticket will be composed of leaders who are not afraid to fight for Jersey City. I am proud to stand alongside these three individuals, as we move forward to make Jersey City a better place to live, work and raise families."  

Urinator Steve Lipski won't get a slot on Mayor Jerramiah Healy's ticket if he seeks re-election to the Jersey City Council this spring.

Jersey City Councilman Steve Lipski, who faces charges of urinating on a crowd of people during a concert in Washington, D.C. in November, will not get a slot of Mayor Jerramiah Healy's ticket in the May municipal election.  Sources say that businesswoman Nydia Rivera, the wife of former Jersey City Councilman Ben Lopez, will run on the Healy slate and challenge Lipski for the Ward C Council seat.  Ward C has one of the largest Hispanic populations in Jersey City.

Jersey City mayoral candidate Lou Manzo has filled in most of his council slate and plans to start rolling out names next week.

“We will have the majority of the known candidates that are seeking office. It is so tough to find people who want to run, and out of the people who want to run I think I’m going to get the lion’s share of them,” said Manzo, a former assemblyman who’s embarking on his fifth try for the office on Grove Street.

Manzo said that finding quality council candidates has been especially difficult this year. He’s still working on recruiting Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, who has entertained a number of offers from mayoral candidates to join their slate.

“Everybody’s still fishing for Fulop. He hasn’t made a decision yet. We’re in that race too,” said Manzo.

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Gov. Jon Corzine is expected to seek re-election to a second term in 2009.

Look for former U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie to file papers this month as a candidate for the Republican nomination for Governor.   The former federal prosecutor is expected to become the establishment GOP candidate in a primary against former Bogota Mayor Steven Lonegan, the leader of the conservative wing of the New Jersey GOP.   Two other candidates, Assemblyman Richard Merkt and Franklin Township Mayor Brian D. Levine, are also mulling gubernatorial bids.

Incumbent Jon Corzine is expected to seek a second term as Governor, and is likely to run unopposed in the Democratic primary.  Not since Brendan Byrne faced nine rivals, including two Congressmen and a member of his own cabinet, in 1977 has a sitting Governor faced serious opposition for the nomination of his or her own party.  Corizne has struggled to win the approval of voters, but he's a Democrat in a very blue state, and he is expected to spend a huge amount of money to get re-elected.  It will be hard for any Republican to beat him.

If budget issues or e-mails make it impossible for Corzine to continue his race, look for a spirited Democratic primary with Senate President (and former Governor) Richard Codey as the front runner.

New Jerseyans will elect a Lieutenant Governor for the first time in 2009.  The new state law requires the winners of the major party gubernatorial primaries to pick a running mate, much like vice presidential candidates are designated after a presidential nominee is picked.

State Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D-Jersey City), shown being sworn in to the Senate by Richard Codey in November 2007, is a key player in Jersey City mayoral and legislative politics.

The announcement last week that Assemblyman Harvey Smith will run for Mayor of Jersey City means there will be an open State Assembly seat in Hudson County’s 31st district, which includes part of Jersey City and all of Bayonne.  The two key players in deciding who represents this district in the State Assembly are Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy (the Hudson County Democratic Chairman) and State Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham.  If Healy and Cunningham get together – which would mean Healy would be seeking re-election with the endorsement of his predecessor’s widow – than the endorsement of the Hudson County Democratic Organization may be tantamount to election this year.

Also at stake is the seat of Anthony Chiappone, a two-term Assemblyman (2004-06 and 2008-date) from Bayonne.  Chiappone is at odds with the newly-elected Mayor Bayonne, Mark Smith, a Healy ally.  But Cunningham likes Chiappone, who ran with her late husband in 2003 and with her in 2007.  If a deal for Cunningham to endorse Healy in the mayoral race includes keeping Chiappone in the Assembly, then Chiappone will likely return to Trenton.

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Bret Schundler, who served as Mayor of Jersey City from 1992 to 2001, is mulling a comeback bid next May.

While the Jersey City mayoral race is starting to gain momentum, former mayor Bret Schundler, who has not formally kicked off his campaign but has already said that he intends to run, has been relatively quiet. 

That has led to speculation that Schundler has had trouble raising money and filling out a full council slate and that he has begun to rethink whether he can pull off the same kind of upset in 2008 as he did in 1992.  Some say Schundler’s feet are beginning to get cold.

Reached for comment today, Schundler said he would like to hold off on interviews until January 15th.  Asked if he would rebut or clarify rumors about having a tough time campaigning, he said “I don’t want to clarify anything.”

But attorney Sean Connelly, a close Schundler ally who ran all three of his mayoral campaigns and served as Jersey City Corporation Counsel during his administration, dismissed the rumors.

“The last time I spoke to Bret was last Monday, and of course we send emails all the time. But nothing gave me any kind of concern,” he said. “I’m very pleased with the fundraising.”