Green Speaks Out on Mayoral Race
While voters and political leaders await a decision on whether Mayor Albert T. McWilliams can be on the November ballot as a Republican, Plainfield Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Green disputed the mayor’s contention that his possible bid for a third term will attract “fusion” voters who are tired of party bossism.
Kicked off the line by the Democrats in April, McWilliams ran as a “New Democrat” in the June primary, losing by 6 percent of the vote to Green’s candidate, Sharon Robinson-Briggs. When the Republican mayoral candidate, Cheryl Arana, dropped out in mid-September, the Plainfield Republican Municipal Committee invited McWilliams to fill the vacancy. He changed parties and filed, but on Sept. 21, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi rejected his filing, citing a state statute dubbed the “sore loser” law.
The city and county Republican parties challenged her decision, and on Thursday (Sept. 29, 2005) Superior Court Judge Walter R. Barisonek declared the statute, NJSA 19:13-14.1, unconstitutional, in part because it only applies to municipal candidates.
Green said Friday (Sept. 30, 2005) he was “pretty sure” Democrats had filed to appeal Barisonek’s ruling. But he alleged McWilliams will have to answer to Republican bosses now.
“They’re the ones that went to court to fight the case for him,“ said Green, who is also an Assemblyman representing District 22.
Green was irked by the turn of events that seemed to give McWilliams a chance to return to the mayoral fray, calling it a “Fatal Attraction” situation, because McWilliams did not just accept the primary outcome and go away.
"They clearly don’t want to see this invitation going out to all the voters in Plainfield," McWilliams said, referring to the fact that all 19,000 registered voters in Plainfield, not just registered Democrats, now have a chance to vote for him if they wish. Only the 7,878 registered Democrats could vote in the Democratic primary.
“I knew this was going to happen anyway,“ Green said, claiming Arana was only on the Republican line to ”baby-sit“ the slot for McWilliams.
McWilliams’ spring challenge to Green’s Regular Democratic line unleashed a flood of campaign mail just before the June primary, with Democratic Party backing from all over the state. But now, Green said, McWilliams will have to give in to the wishes of the Republicans.
“When you reach out for their money, it’s obvious you have to dance to their tune.“
The new situation complicates things for New Democrats who won seats on the Democratic City Committee in June. Green said of 18 New Democrats on the committee, eight have said they would work with him. At a committee meeting Sept. 16, Green asked all the committee members to pledge loyalty to Democratic candidates and said he will do the same Thursday at another meeting.
“I’m confident that Sharon has not given them a reason to jump ship,” he said.
But he backed off on an earlier statement that as of Jan. 1, he would have five solid votes on the seven-member City Council.
“They have the right to vote their conscience on a council issue, but they have to support the Democrats,“ he said.
Two council members who ran on the New Democrats' line - Rashid Burney and Rayland Van Blake - may need to seek party support for re-election in 2006. Van Blake’s 1st Ward term ends next year. Burney is running Nov 8 against Republican Al Coleman for the balance of a four-year term representing Wards 2 and 3 at-large, and the winner will have to run again next year in both the 2006 primary and the November general election.
“The party stands behind any candidate that believes in Democratic issues,” Green said. “We have no interest in being a dictator like the mayor has been for the last two years.”
McWilliams faced a hostile council for most of his eight years in office, only receiving more support after a New Democrat majority took over.
Seeming to anticipate that the unconstitutionality ruling on the “sore loser” law will hold up on appeal, Green said the judge’s decision was no victory for McWilliams.
“It’s the law,” he said, explaining that anyone who challenged its constitutionality could have won.
Green was Democratic Party chairman for about 20 years before McWilliams grabbed the seat away from him in 2003 for a two-year term. Green won the seat back in June. But he said he’s not taking anything for granted.
“Plainfield politics is funny,” he said.
Kicked off the line by the Democrats in April, McWilliams ran as a “New Democrat” in the June primary, losing by 6 percent of the vote to Green’s candidate, Sharon Robinson-Briggs. When the Republican mayoral candidate, Cheryl Arana, dropped out in mid-September, the Plainfield Republican Municipal Committee invited McWilliams to fill the vacancy. He changed parties and filed, but on Sept. 21, Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi rejected his filing, citing a state statute dubbed the “sore loser” law.
The city and county Republican parties challenged her decision, and on Thursday (Sept. 29, 2005) Superior Court Judge Walter R. Barisonek declared the statute, NJSA 19:13-14.1, unconstitutional, in part because it only applies to municipal candidates.
Green said Friday (Sept. 30, 2005) he was “pretty sure” Democrats had filed to appeal Barisonek’s ruling. But he alleged McWilliams will have to answer to Republican bosses now.
“They’re the ones that went to court to fight the case for him,“ said Green, who is also an Assemblyman representing District 22.
Green was irked by the turn of events that seemed to give McWilliams a chance to return to the mayoral fray, calling it a “Fatal Attraction” situation, because McWilliams did not just accept the primary outcome and go away.
"They clearly don’t want to see this invitation going out to all the voters in Plainfield," McWilliams said, referring to the fact that all 19,000 registered voters in Plainfield, not just registered Democrats, now have a chance to vote for him if they wish. Only the 7,878 registered Democrats could vote in the Democratic primary.
“I knew this was going to happen anyway,“ Green said, claiming Arana was only on the Republican line to ”baby-sit“ the slot for McWilliams.
McWilliams’ spring challenge to Green’s Regular Democratic line unleashed a flood of campaign mail just before the June primary, with Democratic Party backing from all over the state. But now, Green said, McWilliams will have to give in to the wishes of the Republicans.
“When you reach out for their money, it’s obvious you have to dance to their tune.“
The new situation complicates things for New Democrats who won seats on the Democratic City Committee in June. Green said of 18 New Democrats on the committee, eight have said they would work with him. At a committee meeting Sept. 16, Green asked all the committee members to pledge loyalty to Democratic candidates and said he will do the same Thursday at another meeting.
“I’m confident that Sharon has not given them a reason to jump ship,” he said.
But he backed off on an earlier statement that as of Jan. 1, he would have five solid votes on the seven-member City Council.
“They have the right to vote their conscience on a council issue, but they have to support the Democrats,“ he said.
Two council members who ran on the New Democrats' line - Rashid Burney and Rayland Van Blake - may need to seek party support for re-election in 2006. Van Blake’s 1st Ward term ends next year. Burney is running Nov 8 against Republican Al Coleman for the balance of a four-year term representing Wards 2 and 3 at-large, and the winner will have to run again next year in both the 2006 primary and the November general election.
“The party stands behind any candidate that believes in Democratic issues,” Green said. “We have no interest in being a dictator like the mayor has been for the last two years.”
McWilliams faced a hostile council for most of his eight years in office, only receiving more support after a New Democrat majority took over.
Seeming to anticipate that the unconstitutionality ruling on the “sore loser” law will hold up on appeal, Green said the judge’s decision was no victory for McWilliams.
“It’s the law,” he said, explaining that anyone who challenged its constitutionality could have won.
Green was Democratic Party chairman for about 20 years before McWilliams grabbed the seat away from him in 2003 for a two-year term. Green won the seat back in June. But he said he’s not taking anything for granted.
“Plainfield politics is funny,” he said.
--Bernice Paglia
KEYWORDS: politics
posted by Bernice at 7:23 PM
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