Sandra Cunningham

One of Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop's two ballot initiatives suffered a severe blow earlier this week by a prominent city official, but Fulop said the move has energized his base.

"Yesterday I sent out that email letting people know about it. We got 60 new donors, 25 new volunteers and we're just starting," he said.

A move by Jersey City Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis on Tuesday sparked outrage in an already politically charged atmosphere. Fulop had just turned in 1,800 signatures for two ballot initiatives: one which would enact new anti pay-to-play rules, and another that would bar council members from receiving more than one public salary (six of the nine council members have more than one taxpayer funded salary).

State Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex).: Politicker photo 

Nothing’s ever rock solid in politics, but the top of the Trenton power heap may contain more potential for movement than usual in the lead-up to Statehouse reorganization come January.

Two possible factors include Speaker Joseph Roberts’s (D-Camden) imminent departure from the Assembly, and the possibility that a newly crowned Obama administration would haul former Wall Street guru Gov. Jon Corzine out of New Jersey to crunch numbers in Washington.

In the thicket of this political drama, it’s difficult not to identify Senate President and former Governor Richard Codey (D-Essex) as a protagonist.

"I’m just a kid from Orange," Codey told a packed auditorium in his native Essex County town last month - but he’s also a former governor, who by all appearances liked the job and enjoyed great popularity.

Jersey City Heights businessman Michael Yun, a long time friend political ally of Bret Schundler, said that the former mayor and gubernatorial candidate will seek to reclaim the city's top office in 2009.

“He’s definitely going to run, yes, and we’re organizing,” Yun told PolitickerNJ in a phone interview this morning.

Schundler has spent the last couple weeks attending neighborhood meetings and asking local politicians for support, aided by Yun. He recently announced his mayoral intentions to a gathering of Hudson County Republicans at their reorganization meeting, though in less definite language.

The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) will conduct mass demonstrations on Friday at the offices of thirty State Senators to protest legislation they say targets teacher and school employee pensions. NJEA officials say that thousands of union members will participate.

“We stand ready to work with the Legislature to root out the real causes of pension abuse and corruption that genuinely harm the state’s finances,” said NJEA President Joyce Powell. “But we will not tolerate – not now, not ever – any attempt to scapegoat teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, crossing guards, and other school employees for sins they have never committed.

NJEA members are sending legislators a message, Powell said: “We aren’t the problem. Craft legislation that eliminates the abuse you have tolerated for so long, and don’t target innocent people who educate New Jersey’s kids and keep them safe.”

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy has named a top advisor to his possible ’09 opponent to the Municipal Utilities Authority – a move that could affect the next mayoral race and tomorrow’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.  Cardwell was one of the architects of Sandra Cunningham’s 2007 State Senate race, and of the late Glenn Cunningham’s campaigns for Mayor in 2001 and State Senator in 2003.  Sandra Cunningham is reportedly interested in challenging Healy for mayor next year.  Cardwell is also the primary Jersey City/Hudson County operative overseeing Rob Andrews’ Senate campaign.  Will Cardwell, now a happy camper, not work terribly hard turning out Andrews votes in tomorrow’s primary – thus not embarrassing Healy, the Hudson County Democratic Chairman, who is backing Frank Lautenberg?

BAYONNE - U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) arrives in Bayonne.

State Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson), U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1), and Jackie Andrews. 

BAYONNE - When U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews gets out of his car in front of the Catholic War Veterans Post 1612 on 23rd Street, his allies greet his appearance with an enthusiasm that runs into a wall of Lautenberg motley across the street.

The two sides have been trading scattered verbal chest thumps for about a half an hour, with the level of public discourse never rising above the likes of, "Who’s washed up? Lautenberg. Who’s washed up? Lautenberg," versus "Who’s going to lose? Andrews. Who’s going to lose? Andrews!"

Now that U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s (D-NJ) challenger in Tuesday’s Democratic Senate Primary lands on the scene, the smaller Andrews camp tries unsuccessfully to drown out a renewed frenzy of put-downs coming from the other side.

BAYONNE - Speaking to a crowd of about 60 Bayonne residents at the Catholic War Veterans Post on 23rd Street Saturday, state Sen. Sandra Cunningham (D-Hudson) explained why she's supporting Andrews for U.S. Senate.

Moments later, Andrews recognized his daughter, Jackie, and told the crowd he had brought her along in part to meet women of courage like Cunningham. 

Sources familiar with Jersey City politics say that an interesting alliance is in the works: if Sandra Cunningham runs for Mayor in 2009, then Louis Manzo  will drop his plan to run for Mayor and support her – with the implied promise that she would support him for her State Senate seat.  And if City Councilman Steven Fulop joins the Cunningham camp – instead of running for Mayor – he would be rewarded with Cunningham’s endorsement for the Democratic nomination for Congress against Albio Sires in the 2010 primary.   Manzo, sources say, has not ruled out a bid for Councilman-At-Large on the Cunningham ticket, although he could not serve as Councilman and Senator at the same time.