Williams is a veteran campaigner and will be a formidable opponent to Michelson. His backers will also have to overcome years of Green's painting Republicans as evil incarnate, in fact using the appellation as a swearword to condemn detractors.
But suppose he wins. Further, suppose he wins and then quits before his four-year term is up. The Republican City Committee, all 15 of them, get to submit names of three Republicans to the council to choose one as his replacement, because the seat will belong to the GOP.
In the past decade or so, the Republicans have had a thin bench, to say the least. Which brings us to another scenario. Republican candidate Randy Bullock originally filed to run for the Second & Third Ward seat. Word is he will switch to the Third Ward race, which could be seen as giving incumbent appointee Gloria Taylor less competition in her bid to win the balance of Adrian Mapp's unexpired term.
This gambit is not without its possible hazards. Since assuming the seat as an appointee in January when Mapp became mayor, Taylor has gained followers but also put some people off with her unrelenting harshness toward Williams. Some say they would rather vote for Bullock than chance Taylor's council presence till Dec. 31, 2016.
More likely is an easy Taylor win. When he ran against Mapp for the Third Ward seat in 2012, Bullock only got 7 percent of the vote..
So the GOP/RDO game appears to be to put Michelson in to play hardball against Williams and switch Bullock to be the softball against Taylor, the goal being to give Green six biddable council members in 2015.
Unfortunately for this plan, Williams will now be solidly on the Democratic line, with Cory Booker and Bonnie Watson Coleman at the top. In May, Republicans numbered 868 to the Democrats' 13,105, so Democrats for Michelson would have to deviate from their party's line and search him out on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Republican Party Chairman George Gore promised an announcement by the end of the week, which is right about now, so the new lineup shall soon be revealed. If the GOP really wants to do Green a favor, the party could just leave the Third Ward candidacy vacant and not risk a progressive Democrat backlash against Taylor.
--Bernice
I'm all for a progressive Democratic backlash against Taylor. Third ward residents are not served by her, nor is Plainfield.
ReplyDeleteHer thinking is stayed and old. Which is why Plainfield stays in the 19th century. No new ideas - no new politics - no progress.
Thank goodness we have a Mayor with the ability to overcome this old way and is moving Plainfield forward.
Bernice,
ReplyDeleteThere will be a meeting of the Union County Democratic Committee on Thursday, 9/4 at Galloping Hill in Union, NJ (6:30 pm) to select a candidate to run for the Sheriff's spot. In a press release, UCDC Chairman Jerry Green notes, "'While this will undoubtedly be for many of us a somber occasion given the circumstances of how the vacancy occurred, it is also our responsibility to select our party’s standard bearer for County Sheriff,' stated Green. 'I have provided written notification to all members of the Union County Democratic Committee, and I trust they will make every effort to be at this important meeting.'”
At least one third of the county committee members from Plainfield won their seats on the New Democrats line. Further, the voters selected me in the primary as the Democratic Party's "standard bearer" for Plainfield's 2nd & 3rd Ward At-large council seat. As the party chairman, Jerry Green's role is to get Democrats elected--that is also the role of the members of the Plainfield Democratic City Committee. I will be on all campaign signs, campaign literature, and so forth with the other Democratic candidates who are on the ballot in Plainfield. I have the support of the county freeholders, including Linda Carter, and I have the support of Bonnie Watson-Coleman and Cory Booker. This will be made clear at the Plainfield Democratic City Committee meeting--as an ex-officio member, I have to be invited to all meetings, and I will be present. The scenario you have laid out here--with Jerry Green supporting a Republican candidate--clearly shows Green as the divisive one. During the primary, he tried to paint me (a solidly progressive Democrat) as a "tea party" person--it backfired terribly and embarrassed him. I can't imagine that he would want to add further embarrassment to his legacy with another attempt to divide the Democratic Party. Again, to use Green's own words, I am the "standard bearer" for the Democratic party in Plainfield for my council seat.
Rebecca
Taylor is not good for Plainfield or for moving the city forward. I am a dem but will search out the Republican candidate for the 3rd Ward. It is sad that Mr. Green keeps making bad choices for Plainfield and the City Democratic Committee lets him get away with it. Maybe those who do are looking for jobs like Rivers did. Either way, Green and Taylor are not good for Plainfield.
ReplyDeleteWhat is sadder is that the majority of people Plainfield vote for him and his poor choices. '
DeletePerhaps the 3rd ward will show some guts and not vote for her.
Gloria Taylor is a leach and in no way represents the 3rd Ward. She represents herself only and does a lousy job at that.
ReplyDeleteHey Bernice, I know I'm a bit overweight, but calling me an elephant?? Actually I've lost 45 pounds in the last year or so.
ReplyDeleteI decline at this time to answer the speculations which you and others are putting forth. It does however remind me of when my late partner and I decided to move from our lovely but cramped Victorian to the house I live in now, two blocks down the street. One night, I said, do we have any interest in moving out of town? In a few seconds, we both busted out laughing, saying "no way - we'd be bored anywhere else". And so it remains.
Amen, Bill. You are absolutely right.
DeleteIt would be hilarious if Bill were elected, sworn in, took his seat on the Council, and then resigned to be replaced by a Republican chosen by that party's 15 committee members. Jerry, you asked for it!
ReplyDeleteNO Republicans in this town !!! Look what they have done to it over these last 30 years !! Oh wait ... it has been that other crew in charge .... never mind.
ReplyDeleteThe April primary revealed strong dissatisfaction with Ms. Taylor's candidacy in the 3rd Ward. If Republicans hope to win there, they should appeal to progressive Democrats with a progressive candidate of their own. But it is foolishness and poor vote counting to think that any good will come of conspiring with Green in his campaign against New Democrats. Better Republicans should play softball against Williams, and hardball against Taylor.
ReplyDelete