Thursday, May 11, 2017

Democrats Announce Their Endorsements

This morning, the Hudson City Democratic Committee announced the candidates they have endorsed for local office. Heading the list is Rick Rector, as Democratic candidate for mayor, and incumbent Heather Campbell, as city treasurer.

To represent the newly configured five wards in Hudson, the HCDC has made the following endorsements:

First Ward: Incumbent Sarah Sterling for supervisor, and Kamal Johnson for alderman.

Third Ward: Michael Chameides for supervisor; Shershah Mizan and Calvin Lewis for aldermen.

Fourth Ward: Incumbent William Hughes for supervisor, and Jonathan Rosenthal for alderman.

Fifth Ward: Richard Scalera as supervisor; former city treasurer Eileen Halloran and Dominic Merante for aldermen.

The press release from the HCDC states that the candidates endorsed "have committed to work toward a more inclusive city that meets the needs of all its residents" and "have identified economic development, affordable housing, and the waterfront as important issues for the next term." Interestingly, four of the candidates endorsed by the HCDC are also members of the HCDC: Michael Chameides, Sarah Sterling, William Hughes, and Shershah Mizan.

The omissions from the list are as interesting as the endorsements. The HCDC endorsed no candidate for Common Council president. The Register-Star, however, reports today that Second Ward alderman Tiffany Garriga, who is also a member of the HCDC, has announced her intention to run for the office: "Garriga eyes Council prez seat." The article also reports that Claudia DeStefano, who currently holds the office, does not intend to seek reelection. Although Garriga is the first to announce her candidacy, there is word that at least two other people are contemplating a run for Council president: Steve Dunn, who was part of the Fair & Equal team, and Tom DePietro, now chair of the Planning Board, who ran for Council president in 2015 and probably would have won had 286 people not voted for Victor Mendolia, who had withdrawn from the race months before the election.

Among the other omissions, the HCDC endorsed no one in the Second Ward, currently represented by Ed Cross, as supervisor, who is retiring after two decades in the office, and Tiffany Garriga and Abdus Miah as aldermen. In the First and Fourth wards, the HCDC endorsed only one candidate for the two alderman positions. In the Fourth Ward, Rich Volo sought the HCDC endorsement but failed to get it. Volo issued this statement this morning: "Due to lack of endorsement by the Democratic Committee, I have withdrawn my candidacy." In the First Ward, the HCDC did not endorse Rob Bujan, who has already announced his intention to run for alderman. Bujan told Gossips this morning that he was not sure of the rationale for not endorsing a second candidate in the First and Fourth wards, but he has no intention of withdrawing. "While I didn't get the HCDC endorsement, it's about doing right by the city. I am excited to run to represent the First Ward."
COPYRIGHT 2017 CAROLE OSTERINK

3 comments:

  1. The map above reveals an interesting paradox. Half of the people's shore is in the second ward yet city fencing has reduced 2nd ward use to nil.

    Show up on the first ward shore in a motor yacht and people rush to tear down city fencing.

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  2. On the side sunny of Warren, private concerns attach floats to the people's shore. In the second ward the Fisher folk's floats remain severed from shore, high and dry, up in the bay.

    Google earth now defines Furgary as a "fishing and hunting getaway." This time of year, it was more of a fishing and hunting gateway.

    This well worn, pathway to paradise for the poor, is now overgrown and under used, rendered near useless with the help of second ward politicians and their quislings.

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  3. Are there different codes for use of city shore in the first ward than the second?

    There's room for a hundred floats up in the North bay yet it remains
    empty. "Because city (2nd ward) leaders can't "manage it" is no excuse for five years of fencing off the poor man's footpath to paradise.

    ReplyDelete