Gov. Phil Murphy did a classic Hudson County election eve drive-by endorsement/not endorsement in Bayonne with Mayor Jimmy Davis on Friday.
“Today’s about good government and good government cooperation in particular between the state and community,” he insisted. “No politics today.”
Although the photos are very likely destined to become part of an election day brochure in the Peninsula City.
Davis has the establishment support. His opponent, former Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell, does not. Add to that, as election day nears, the city is actually enjoying something of a renaissance.
Broadway is seeing new life, from the medical center to new condos and restaurants. The mayor says that’s progress, but his opponent says the incumbent is selling the city out.
“For the first time in 25 years, the city’s moving forward,” said Davis. “You talk to real estate developers and they’ll tell you that property values are up 30, 35 percent in Bayonne. They’re having trouble keeping houses on the market.”
“You can’t say the real estate market is that hot. Then why give it away,” countered O’Donnell. “They’ve given away these long-term tax abatement for development and we could’ve negotiated a lot better. We could’ve got more. We could’ve got jobs for our people, we could’ve got community benefit agreements to help programs within the city.”
There hasn’t been any formal polling here, but the prevailing wisdom is that it’s hard to beat the incumbent with all the establishment support.
In Paterson, where the last three mayors have either gone to jail or been formally censured by the council, there are more candidates, six, than there is enthusiasm for the electoral process. The specter of Joey Torres haunts the politics of this city. Pedro Rodriguez was his deputy mayor.
“When I saw what Joey was doing, that it was unethical, I wrote my resignation letter and I handed it to him,” he noted. “I don’t get not even close to corrupt politicians and I’ve proven that throughout my life here in the city of Paterson.”
There is no incumbent here, but the establishment support has gone to unsuccessful, three-time candidate Andre Sayegh.
“I believe that my relationship with Gov. Murphy and Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver will help Paterson get a seat at the table in Trenton because if you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” said Sayegh.
Meanwhile, in the state’s largest city and, in case you haven’t heard, one of the finalists to get the Amazon’s HQ2, things are looking up, literally, with new building downtown and across the city. The incumbent, Ras Baraka, once a flamethrower from the outside, has settled into the role of big city mayor.
“When he ran, his opponents were trying to pin him — his opponents — were trying to pin him as a radical,” observed Politifax Editor Nick Acocella. “I’m surprised because, in a way, I bought into that. I was listening to the opposition, but we shouldn’t be.”
Baraka has been welcoming corporations, former rivals like Cory Booker and Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, even Chris Christie. His opponent Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins says residents have noticed. At a recent debate, the candidates – running mates just four years ago – showed equal parts disdain and disagreement.
“While we’re working to develop a plan and strategize around these things, there are folks creating cynicism, and I think the only real problem that they have with it is that they’re not in front of it,” charged the mayor. “If they were in front of it, if they were leading it, they would be out there cheerleading it, right?”
Chaneyfield Jenkins smiles at that.
“The many faces of Ras,” she laughs. “When he talks about people now if they don’t appreciate him or they’re not supporting him, ‘oh you’re just whiners, you’re cynical.’ That’s not what it is. We’re realists.”
Come Tuesday night, Baraka is likely to be at a victory party, and then all the winners will have to turn their attention to Trenton, where a new governor will be looking for allies, and the mayors will be looking for – if you’ll pardon the Bookerism – “gov love.”
