Hudson County executive candidate Craig Guy has raised an eye popping $891,209.13 to date, according to his May 8th report filed with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
At 105 pages, the report is longer than some short novels, though it makes it clear that just about anyone affiliated with the Hudson County Democratic Organization is supporting Guy – the chief of staff to retiring County Executive Tom DeGise – who gave $2,600 on February 13th.
32nd Legislative District Assembly candidate John Allen donated $1,000 on February 1st, while the Amalgamated Transit Union, who has endorsed Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop for governor, contributed $2,600 on April 18th, the report shows.
State Senator Brian Stack (D-33), also the Union City mayor and another candidate on the June 6th primary ballot, has given $3,600 from his Senate account, while Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese (D-36), who represents parts of Bergen and Passaic Counties, donated $2,600.
Former Assemblyman Nick Chiaravaloti, the vice president for external affairs & senior counsel to the president at Hudson County Community College, wrote a check for $2,500 on February 1st, while Alixon Collazos-Gill gave the same amount on March 1st.
Collazos-Gill is an Assembly candidate in the 27th Legislative District, which includes portions of Essex and Morris Counties, and is running Latino outreach for Guy’s campaign.
Sheriff Frank Schillari, County Commissioners Yraida Aponte-Lipski (D-4) and Al Cifelli (D-9), Bayonne Council President Gary La Pelusa, Bayonne Councilman-at-Large Loyad Booker, and Newark North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos all gave $500, while Mike DeLamater, a political consultant and former Gov. Phil Murphy staffer, chipped in $2,600.
The Fund for Quality Leadership, a super PAC linked to Fulop, gave a maximum contribution of $8,200 on February 13th, as did Harrison Mayor James Fife on April 20th.
Additionally, the Greater New Jersey Carpenters PAC wrote a check for $7,700 on May 4th – the same total amount given by the Jersey City Democratic Committee – the campaign finance filing says.
Former Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy donated $1,400, with state Senator Joe Lagana (D-38) kicked in $2,500, the same amount given by the Local 6 Committee on Political Education.
The New Jersey State Laborers PAC gave $2,600 on April 29th, the New Jersey Together PAC donated $3,000 on April 11th, and the New Jersey Education Association contributed $1,000 on February 1st, the same total amount County Commissioner Jerry Walker (D-3) contributed.
Assemblyman Raj Mukherji (D-33), who is running for state Senate in the new 32nd Legislative District, has written checks for $8,000 overall, while Hudson County Commissioner Anthony Romano (D-5) has given $2,000.
Assemblyman William Sampson (D-31) chipped in $1,000 on April 29th, as did former Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith, who now works for the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, on April 18th.
Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22), who has endorsed Guy, gave $5,200 on April 26th, while the joint account of Assembly members Lisa Swain and Chris Tully (both D-38) donated $5,000 on March 1st.
Of note, Guy made $31,012.13 in in-kind contributions to the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, who he later donated $45,000.
The NJDSC has paid for several mailers for Guy throughout the campaign, which is a preferred option since they pay a reduced rate for postage.
He’s also paying John Minella, Fulop’s chief of staff, $5,000 a month as a consultant, along with Essex County Board of Commissioners President Brendan Gill, who is receiving the same monthly amount. His campaign manager, Julietta Vogt, receives $7,500 a month.
Guy’s campaign also paid a handful of other political consulting firms, including the Washington, D.C.-based The Operations Group, who received $60,000 on March 21st and then the same payment on April 19th.
He also played a role in North Bergen Mayor Nick Sacco’s re-election earlier this month, donating $2,800 to his campaign account and then another $7,200 to the North Bergen Democratic Committee.
His primary opponent, progressive activist Eleana Little, has raised $20,097.39 to date and has $9,468.69 cash on hand, according to her May 13th ELEC report, while Guy has about $237,000 cash on hand after a fundraiser at O’Leary’s in Jersey City on Tuesday.
Wow Minella did good with this one. They have token primary opposition in a D+20 county. So 5000 a month to find the best buffets on the campaign trail?