Ultimately the internal tug of war for the right to succeed outgoing Assemblyman Charles Mainor pits former Seton Hall University basketball star against Jermaine Robinson, former Ward F Council candidate for then-Mayor Jerry Healy.
Mainor lacks the strong advocacy from state Senator Sandra Cunningham (D-31) to remain secure.
The fact that the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) is flushing his running mate, Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell (D31), in favor of former Bob Menendez State Director Nick Chiaravaloti, only creates more foundational cracks and eases the bosses’ decision to get rid of him.
Walker may be too big for the job, and we don’t mean tall.
He ran for mayor in 2013, losing to sitting Mayor Steven Fulop.
There are some close to the mayor alert to that executive streak in the former basketball star who fret about empowering someone
who could easily go up for that mayoral shot next time and complicate matters for an organizational choice.
Better to go with Robinson, one school argues internally, rather than get unwittingly legged up by Walker.
But it’s still not completely settled – at least the Mainor successor portion.
Sources say – and have been saying for months – that O’Donnell’s done for Chiaravaloti in the era of new Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis.
Also hunting – but not getting any traction for the line, is Joe Conte, former Jersey City Democratic chairman under Healy.
The only other matter to settle is in LD33, where state Senator Brian P. Stack is expected to dump incumbent Assemblyman Carmelo Garcia.
Garcia’s replacement is – as yet – unknown.
