By David Cruz
Correspondent
If you’re one of those people thinking of running for governor next year, you need to have a presence here at the Democratic Convention this year. Earlier this week it was Steve Sweeney welcoming delegates aboard the Battleship New Jersey. Today Sweeney’s ambiguous 2017 sign dominated the hallway outside the ballroom at the New Jersey delegation’s hotel. Inside the ballroom, it was Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop greeting delegates as part of the morning breakfast he sponsored.
“I think we’re all pulling in the same direction here. All the governor conversation will be after 2016 and we’ll cross that bridge when it comes. I think the priority really needs to be about Hillary and any distraction is more self-serving than beneficial for what really the goal should be for 2016,” Fulop said.
It could be argued that Fulop is attracting attention to himself by holding the event. “Look, anything I do you guys say it’s for 2017; I’m just trying to ultimately do a great job in Jersey City,” he said.
With only one officially declared candidate for governor in the race, all the potential candidates were free to attend one another’s events — as fellow Democrats.
Sen. Ray Lesniak was at Fulop’s event. “Well, why not? Good coffee, breakfast, lots of good friends. We’re all friends, but in the end maybe we’ll be at each other’s throat. I hope not. I hope not,” Lesniak said.
When asked if the next governor of New Jersey was in the room, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo said, “Let’s see, the breakfast did not start yet. Not everybody’s here yet. There’s going to be some interesting people that come to this breakfast today.”
That’s an understatement. Here’s South Jersey powerbroker George Norcross, no friend of Fulop, heading to a table at the front of the room. We were curious to see what he was doing there.
You don’t have two minutes for us? “No, I’m going to sit down and have breakfast,” he said.
Whether he was there to just tweak Fulop, or as some sources said, he mistakenly thought this was a Sweeney breakfast, Norcross shared his thoughts on Fulop with print reporters after his meal.
“George Norcross just called you a politically correct politician who tells people what they want to hear, just like Jim McGreevey and he didn’t mean it in a good way,” a reporter said to Fulop.
“Well, look, look, what am I going to say about George Norcross? I’ve got nothing to say about him at the end of the day. I mean, he’s not an elected official, he’s a businessman. He’s made a lot of money off the public sector and he’s entitled to his opinion like anybody else in this room. What can I tell you?” Fulop said.
Assemblyman John Wisniewski held a lunch in the same hotel. No Norcross, but Fulop was there, maintaining the theme of unity. Wisniewski, who headed up the Bernie Sanders campaign in Jersey, compared Democrats to a big family at Sunday dinner.
“But the thing that the Republicans and the world doesn’t often appreciate is that when we’re done having that Sunday dinner, when we’re done having that raucous conversation and throwing things and doing whatever we have to do to make our point, we always come back together, and that’s where we are today, and that’s where we’ll be at the end of this week,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg is a former candidate for lieutenant governor and knows a little bit of what these guys are getting into. She cautioned them to take the process and the eventual job seriously.
“Constitutionally, it is such a powerful office, how you can influence and make changes, I would hope that each and every one of them actually look at this very — I mean I know they look at it seriously — but that they really understand the heart of it,” she said.
“Get out and meet people. Listen to people so you can find out what the real problems are because sometimes if you’re not talking with real folks, you don’t get a real correct impression with what’s on their mind,” said former Gov. Jim Florio. “These are political people, but I mean they’re responsive to their neighbors. They’re responsive to their neighborhoods. This is a good step, but you have to go beyond this and get out and see real individuals.”
We’ll see how much the candidates take that advice to heart when the gubernatorial race gets into full swing, after the national party handles its business this week.