In 2009, six people were vying in the June Democratic primary for the line in the November general election. Incumbent Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs beat Councilman Adrian Mapp by 7.77 percent, according to official results that showed challenger Martin Cox had garnered 8.40 percent of the vote. Many perceived Cox as a spoiler in the race. Only 4,324 of the 12,420 registered Democrats bothered to vote. See Plaintalker's post here.
Official 2009 results from County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi:
Official 2009 results from County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi:
SHARON M. ROBINSON BRIGGS 2,017
ADRIAN O. MAPP 1,681
CAROL ANN BROKAW BOLES 152
MARTIN P. COX 363
THOMAS T. TURNER 37
ROBERT FERRARO 72
Personal Choice 2
Total 4,324
This time around, it's just Sharon and Adrian. The number of registered Democrats is about the same, at 12,817. Adrian won re-election in 2012 to another four-year term representing the Third Ward, so again it's the mayor vs. the councilman. The June 2009 results have colored the intervening years, with the mayor often reminding Mapp "the election is over" and Mapp continuing to point out mayoral faults. Allies of the mayor, notably one Roland Muhammad, have kept up a running battle with Mapp and the New Dems on the mayor's behalf. When the mayor welcomed Rev. Al Sharpton Friday to stick up for her, Muhammad was at her side.
One big difference in 2013 is that Mapp received the party line, denied to him in 2009 and to the incumbent mayor in 2005, Albert T. McWilliams. In a curious parallel, the same Democratic County Chairman that deflected McWilliams from the line as he sought a third term in 2005 rendered the same blow to Robinson-Briggs as she was in full campaign mode for a third term this year. Yet having wielded her formidable power to anoint Mapp, Chairman Charlotte DeFilippo found herself under state scrutiny for her position as executive director of the Union County Improvement Authority and declared she will both step down from the authority on Aug. 1 and vacate the county chairmanship in June.
The twists and turns of this election year also included Mapp not appearing at the NAACP candidates' forum due to a prior commitment and a few days later the mayor not appearing at a FOSH/LWV candidates' forum due to illness. While the former had an audience of about 15 people, the latter attracted more than 125 residents, and neither event yielded the chance for voters to hear from both candidates.
The mayor is now openly receiving support from past and present PMUA officials, who were much in evidence at the Sharpton event, presumably in reaction to Mapp's support of a study on whether the authority should be disbanded, with sewer and solid waste operations coming under municipal control.
Even before these recent developments, the attenuated tension between Mapp and Robinson-Briggs and their respective supporters has turned off some residents who see it as a clash of personalities that interferes with the workings of government. Others view it as no less than a battle between good and evil. It has played out at times in mayoral vetoes of council initiatives by the Mapp-led New Dems, with Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Green adding fuel to the fire with attacks on Mapp and his allies. The announcement of the Regular Dems' embrace of Mapp in March was a stunning turnaround, especially to the mayor. Instead of being on a slate with a full roster of running mates for Assembly, Senate and county freeholder board, she is now on a line with one Assembly candidate and three challengers for city committee seats. Her attempt to get NAACP forum attendees to chant, "Column E is meant to be" had somewhat of a hollow ring.
All this notwithstanding, it's not over until it's over. Democrats can vote in the June 4 primary between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., and if any of the city's 8,345 unaffiliated voters are so inclined, they can declare as Democrats at the polls and vote for either the mayor or Mapp.
Unofficial results will be announced on June 4. Official results usually are posted by the County Clerk on Monday following the election. The Democratic City Committee will reorganize on June 10 and the county committee will do so on June 11.
Those with political periscopes are already attempting to guess who will succeed DeFilippo in June as county chairman and Mapp as Third Ward councilperson in January if he becomes mayor.
But that's another story.
--Bernice
This time around, it's just Sharon and Adrian. The number of registered Democrats is about the same, at 12,817. Adrian won re-election in 2012 to another four-year term representing the Third Ward, so again it's the mayor vs. the councilman. The June 2009 results have colored the intervening years, with the mayor often reminding Mapp "the election is over" and Mapp continuing to point out mayoral faults. Allies of the mayor, notably one Roland Muhammad, have kept up a running battle with Mapp and the New Dems on the mayor's behalf. When the mayor welcomed Rev. Al Sharpton Friday to stick up for her, Muhammad was at her side.
One big difference in 2013 is that Mapp received the party line, denied to him in 2009 and to the incumbent mayor in 2005, Albert T. McWilliams. In a curious parallel, the same Democratic County Chairman that deflected McWilliams from the line as he sought a third term in 2005 rendered the same blow to Robinson-Briggs as she was in full campaign mode for a third term this year. Yet having wielded her formidable power to anoint Mapp, Chairman Charlotte DeFilippo found herself under state scrutiny for her position as executive director of the Union County Improvement Authority and declared she will both step down from the authority on Aug. 1 and vacate the county chairmanship in June.
The twists and turns of this election year also included Mapp not appearing at the NAACP candidates' forum due to a prior commitment and a few days later the mayor not appearing at a FOSH/LWV candidates' forum due to illness. While the former had an audience of about 15 people, the latter attracted more than 125 residents, and neither event yielded the chance for voters to hear from both candidates.
The mayor is now openly receiving support from past and present PMUA officials, who were much in evidence at the Sharpton event, presumably in reaction to Mapp's support of a study on whether the authority should be disbanded, with sewer and solid waste operations coming under municipal control.
Even before these recent developments, the attenuated tension between Mapp and Robinson-Briggs and their respective supporters has turned off some residents who see it as a clash of personalities that interferes with the workings of government. Others view it as no less than a battle between good and evil. It has played out at times in mayoral vetoes of council initiatives by the Mapp-led New Dems, with Democratic Party Chairman Jerry Green adding fuel to the fire with attacks on Mapp and his allies. The announcement of the Regular Dems' embrace of Mapp in March was a stunning turnaround, especially to the mayor. Instead of being on a slate with a full roster of running mates for Assembly, Senate and county freeholder board, she is now on a line with one Assembly candidate and three challengers for city committee seats. Her attempt to get NAACP forum attendees to chant, "Column E is meant to be" had somewhat of a hollow ring.
All this notwithstanding, it's not over until it's over. Democrats can vote in the June 4 primary between 6 a.m. and 8 p.m., and if any of the city's 8,345 unaffiliated voters are so inclined, they can declare as Democrats at the polls and vote for either the mayor or Mapp.
Unofficial results will be announced on June 4. Official results usually are posted by the County Clerk on Monday following the election. The Democratic City Committee will reorganize on June 10 and the county committee will do so on June 11.
Those with political periscopes are already attempting to guess who will succeed DeFilippo in June as county chairman and Mapp as Third Ward councilperson in January if he becomes mayor.
But that's another story.
--Bernice
Hi Bernice,
ReplyDeleteI just wanted to remind you that even though the LWV forum did not go on after the mayor failed to attend or call the sponsors to indicate she was ill, Mapp did stay for quite a while after the moderator canceled the event and it seems that many in attendance wanted to talk to Councilman Mapp. You're right, it ain't over until its over. Let hope for Plainfield the voters get out the vote.
ROBERT FERRARO --- R.I.P., truly a man now needed in this town.
ReplyDelete