Winners

STEVE DEMICCO & BRAD LAWRENCE & HAROLD “BUD” DEMELLIER & CRAIG GUY

Message & Media adds another impressive client to their Win column. And along with campaign managers Demellier and Guy, they make Healy the only Mayor since Frank Hague to win 3 times without a runoff and earn first ballot victories in 3 wards that were thought to be competitive.

ELNARDO WEBSTER & CORY BOOKER

Cory Booker’s old law partner chaired Healy’s finance committee, connecting Healy with an entirely different universe of donors and bringing to fruition assistance previously pledged by the White House. And for the 2013 gubernatorial primary, consider that one-third of the state’s Democratic primary votes come from Hudson and Essex Counties.

Bill Matsikoudis

No cable subscriber in Hudson County could miss the commercials touting Healy's environmental record, and he is due to receive a national green award next week. This can only help the prospects of early Obama fundraiser and J.C. Corporation Counsel Bill Matsikoudis, who reportedly has the support of Lautenberg, Menendez, and some key players in New York for the EPA Region 2 post.

RAJ MUKHERJI & MICHAEL MURPHY

Not everyone in the state was pleased with the strong-arm tactics reportedly employed by Healy’s favorite Trenton lobbyists to dissuade them from supporting Manzo, who was an Assembly colleague to some Hudson County outsiders. But it worked, and Mukherji is assured 4 years to continue as Chairman of the Housing Authority and the resulting patronage.

Joe Cardwell

Sandy Cunningham’s confidante and a close Lesniak ally maintained relevance by throwing his (and her) weight behind Healy and even brokered a deal to keep her running mate’s Assembly seat with the support of former nemesis, Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith. Watch for allies of T om DeGise to become increasingly accommodating to Cardwell as they seek the Senator’s long-awaited signoff on a DeGise nomination to the Port Authority.

ETHNIC VOTERS

In Ward C, where Nidia Lopez stunned observers in a decisive first ballot victory over well-known challenger Jimmy King, costly ethnic targeting by Healy proved effective as registered Asian-Indian and Filipino voters turned out in record numbers, contributing to the upset. And a Filipino candidate (running against the Healy ticket) made it into the Ward A runoff.

Kevin Lyons

The former Ward C candidate and mayoral aide (who initially sought to succeed Councilman Steve Lipski) managed a ward campaign for Nidia Lopez that exceeded expectations and surp rised even Healy’s own operatives.

SEAN CONNERS

The renegade would-be challenger to first-ballot victor Bill Gaughan in Ward D is the new Chief of Staff to the Police Director and assured himself HCDO backing to succeed Gaughan—or for higher office. Some insiders believe Gaughan would have lost to the cop, who far surpassed expectations in his recent Board of Education victory.

MARK SMITH & JASON O’DONNELL

The freshman Mayor of Bayonne and the young Bayonne Democratic Chairman keep the peace with the current and next Mayor of Jersey City by supporting Chiappone’s bid for reelection to the Assembly, wh ile ridding themselves of an irritation on Smith's Council (Chiappone). Meanwhile, a state grand jury seems to be examining forgery allegations against the Assemblyman.

DOMINICK PANDOLFO & OSWIN HADLEY

Healy’s Chief of Staff was instrumental in fending off potential challengers and reigning in potential defectors, and Healy’s former law partner (Hadley), the JCDC Treasurer, was a key architect of his victory and fundraising prowess.