Steven Fulop

Jersey City Councilman Steve Fulop turned in enough signatures yesterday to put a pair of ethics reform referendums on the ballot in November, a move that may be seen as the opening salvo in his potential 2009 mayoral campaign.

If the signatures are confirmed by the City Clerk and the initiatives are passed by the voters, Jersey City - which for over a century has been infamous for political corruption, backroom deals and cronyism-- would have some of the strictest ethics measures in the state. 

Seriously. 

One of the initiatives would ban City Council members from accepting more than one public salary or pension.  The other would bar officials from giving out no-bid contracts to vendors who made campaign contributions within a year of the contract's start date.

Former Mayor Bret Schundler's political future is the talk of Jersey City political circles this week because of polling phone calls being received in the area.

Schundler, a conservative Republican who served as Mayor of this ultra-Democratic town from late 1992 until 2001, would not confirm or deny putting a poll in the field, but responded by e-mail that he has not decided whether or not to run again.

The polling questions, however, have set off speculation that Schundler is leaning towards making a run for it, while others doubt what kind of support Schundler can get after leaving the city's political scene altogether and running twice as a firmly right wing gubernatorial candidate.

Hudson County is deep Frank Lautenberg territory, but Democratic Senate candidate Rob Andrews came to the heart of Jersey City’s downtown today to hold a town hall meeting.

“We will expand the campaign anywhere people will have us,” said Andrews before holding court at a gazebo in the city’s Hamilton Park. “There’s one rule in the Andrews campaign – you have to be young at heart, you have to be willing to support us.”

The meeting was organized by the local councilman, Seven Fulop – a likely mayoral candidate next year and frequent critic of Jersey City Mayor/HCDO Chairman Jerramiah Healy, who supports Lautenberg.

Freshman Rep. Albio Sires, the former Assembly Speaker, may avoid a primary challengeJersey City Councilman Steven Fulop put the speculation that he will wage a primary challenge against freshman Congressman Albio Sires to bed today.

“I can tell you unequivocally that I’m not doing it,” said Fulop. “It’s not practical, and being realistic there are more things I’d like to do on the municipal level…. It’s just not about climbing the political ladder.”

There has been talk in political circles that the Hudson County Democratic Organization would field Fulop, a constant critic of the group, to take on Sires so that Fulop would not run for Jersey City Mayor against incumbent Jerramiah Healy, who chairs the HCDO. Sires is a supporter of Union City Mayor/Assemblyman/State Senate candidate Brian Stack, a rival political boss currently warring with Healy’s organization.

At the last Jersey City Municipal Council meeting, Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop did not get a warm reception. That’s not unusual for Fulop, who has been a consistent adversary of many Jersey City politicians since he was elected to the council in 2005.

But this time it was personal.

Fulop had just introduced a resolution that would have banned dual public office holding, personal use of city vehicles and required former city officials to wait three years after leaving the city’s employment before they could lobby the city. If passed, Jersey City would have the strictest ethics measure in the state, said Fulop.

Hillary Clinton's campaign staff wasn't quite accurate when they said that the cancellation of a rally in Jersey City on Monday afternoon was due to scheduling conflicts.  Sources say that Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop's possible challenge to Conrgessman Albio Sires in the 2008 Democratic primary was hardly the reason -- but rather the inability of the New Jersey Clinton campaign organization to successfully stage an event in Jerramiah Healy's Jersey City.  Healy, the Mayor and Hudson County Democratic Chairman, is supporting Barack Obama.  The New Jersey Clinton campaign organization is experiencing some severe organizational problems, with substantial conflicts between local fundraisers and the national campaign headquarters.

Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop, who is reportedly considering a challenge to Congressman Albio Sires in the 2008 Democratic primary, expects to raise about $140,000 on Monday for Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign.  Clinton will join Fulop and Jamie LeFrak for the event at the South City Grill in Jersey City.

Jersey City Councilman Steven Fulop is expected to announce today that he will endorse Louis Manzo for State Senate, and Nicholas Chiaravallotti and Shelia Newton-Moses for State Assembly in the 31st district Democratic primary.  Fulop represents Ward E on the City Council.

Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas announced his candidacy for Congress on Tuesday, the first Democrat to enter the race to succeed U.S. Senator-designate Robert Menendez. Hudson County Democratic Chairman Bernard Kenny, the Senate Majority Leader, endorsed the front runner for the House seat, Assembly Speaker Albio Sires. The Jersey Journal reported today that Steven Fulop, a 28-year-old Jersey City Councilman, is mulling a bid for Congress in the 13th district. Fulop, who has worked as a trader for Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch, challenged Bob Menendez in the 13th district congressional primary in 2004; he had the support of Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham, who passed away just before the primary. Fulop won a Council seat in 2005.