Mark Smith

Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith feels that Governor Corzine’s campaign infrastructure is strong in Bayonne, despite Corzine’s forcing of former Mayor Joe Doria out of his cabinet after his house was raided by the FBI.

“I think there are such strong feelings for Joe Doria and admiration and respect for him.  As to whether that relates to or equates to people being upset or angry at Governor Corzine, I don’t’ know, and I don’t believe so or think so,” he said.

Although FBI agents visited his home the morning of July 23 – when 44 officials, politicians, rabbis and alleged money launderes were netted in a sting that resulted from a two-track investigation – Doria has not been charged with a crime.  

Bayonne’s Democratic assemblyman, Anthony Chiappone, was indicted by the state on separate charges alleging he put legislative aides’ paychecks into a personal and campaign account.  The distirct’s other Assemblyman, L. Harvey Smith (D-Jersey City), was among those charged by the feds in the July sting.

SENS. LAUTENBERG, MENENDEZ, REP. SIRES, MAYOR SMITH ANNOUNCE $3.56 MILLION IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY FUNDING FOR CONSTRUCTION OF NEW BAYONNE FIREHOUSE

Beth Mason launched her campaign for Mayor of Hoboken last night standing in front of signage that proclaims "Real Reform. Lower Taxes."  That's a similar slogan Peter Cammarano used earlier this year -- "Lower Taxes. Real Change." when he defeated Mason in the Hoboken mayoral race.  Cammarano was arrested a few weeks after taking office for taking bribes and resigned after just one month on the job.

The "Lower Taxes. Real Change." plan was also used in November 2008 when Mark Smith was elected Mayor of Bayonne.  Mason, Cammarano and Smith used veteran Democratic messagemeister Paul Swibinski as their consultant.

Bayonne Democratic Committee Chairman Jason O'Donnell

Solomon Dwek mostly talked about his five kids when Bayonne Democratic Party Chairman Jason O'Donnell met with him last year in the lead-up to the Bayonne mayor's race, O'Donnell recalled.

But Dwek also mentioned his interest in building two towers in Bayonne, said O'Donnell, who at the time was working as the campaign manager for eventual winner Mark Smith.

When they later went out to the parking lot of the restaurant where they met, Dwek offered O'Donnell $5,000, according to the chairman.

"I obviously told him to go take a walk," O'Donnell said.

Until Thursday, when Dwek's name leaked as the confidential witness who helped the feds nail 44 public officials, rabbis and political operatives as part of a corruption and money laundering bust, "I never thought of it again - I just thought it was a fast and loose play from Manhattan," added the chairman.

There are some strong technical similarities between a new television ad for Republican gubernatorial candidate Steven Lonegan produced by consultant Rick Shaftan and ads for Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith that were produced last year by his consultant, Paul Swibinski. The ads include similar silhouettes, fonts, and other graphics. 

Shaftan, who works for conservative candidates, and Swibinski, who does considerable work for candidates backed by the Hudson County Democratic Organization, are longtime friends.  But Swibinski is not secretly working for Lonegan are wrong; instead, the two firms use the same video editing house.  That company, PolitickerNJ.com is told, is under strict instructions not to comingle political work brought to them from Shaftan and Swibinski.  There’s a good chance the video editor will get the wrath of Shaftan sometime today.

Assemblyman Anthony Chiappone (D-Bayonne) cut a deal to keep his seat in the Legislature, agreeing that he will not challenge Mayor Mark Smith in 2010.  In order to enforce the deal, Smith allies insisted that Chiappone give up his seat on the City Council – a move that keeps him out of city hall and distances him from local politics.   As part of the agreement for Chiappone to receive the Hudson County Democratic Organization line, State Sen.  Sandra Bolden Cunningham (D-Jersey City) is now expected to endorse the re-election of Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy, and Bayonne Democrats will continue to back Healy for Hudson County Democratic Chairman.

BAYONNE - You won't need the back slash anymore to refer to Assemblyman/Councilman Tony Chiappone (D-Bayonne), who today notified the Bayonne Clerk that he would give up his council seat.

Sources say the local renegade who joined the Hudson County Democratic Organzation (HCDO)-backed state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Jersey City) in 2007, will remain on the HCDO ticket this year.

Although he led a charge against establishment Democrat Mark Smith in the mayor's race last year and suffered a lopsided defeat - Chiappone's close ties to Cunningham preserved him here.

Part of Cunningham's decision not to oppose Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy hinged on Healy's pledge to protect Chiappone in Bayonne.

Healy, the chair of the HCDO, agreed - providing Chiappone surrender his dual office holding status to enabe Mayor Smith to have another ally on council.

Read PolitickerNJ.com's The Year in Review 2008, our annual lists of Winners & Losers of the Year, Politician of the Year, Best & Worst Campaigns, Best Operatives, People to Watch, and much more.

Click here for a low-resolution pdf

Click here for a high-resolution pdf

Assemblyman Tony Chiappone (D-Bayonne) and state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson)

BAYONNE – It was a bruising fight for Assemblyman Tony Chiappone (D-Bayonne), one he wanted badly to win, but his ally in last week’s mayoral election lost, and now Chiappone must look ahead to his own re-election bid next year and the grim prospect of running off the line.

Whether on or off, Chiappone makes it clear.

 “I’m running,” he said.

The Jersey Journal’s Political Insider points out that Mark Smith’s defeat of Pat Conaghan on Election Day gives the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) the necessary leverage to dump Chiappone, who comes from that part of the 31st Legislative District composing a third of what is otherwise dominated by Jersey City.