In a letter to the editor, Jersey City Ward C resident Jack D’Elia explains why Councilman Rich Boggiano was a big loser on Election Day despite making the runoff.
Dear Editor,
I enjoyed your article discussing the winners and losers of Tuesday’s election.
I would like to add another “loser” – Rich Boggiano. I know, he’s in a run-off against Kevin Bing for the Ward C council seat. So, you ask, how is he a “loser?”
Rich Boggiano managed to capture only 44 percent of the vote against a couple of relatively unknown candidates.
Granted, getting 44 percent of the vote would have been a marvelous showing for a newcomer. But, for the incumbent who has held the office for the last eight years, that is a terrible showing.
The people of Ward C voted for change. That said, essentially, 56 percent of the people who went to the polls in Ward C voted against Boggiano.
Or, stated another way, 56 percent of the voters in Ward C handed Rich Boggiano a vote of no confidence – and rightfully so.
To put things into proper perspective, the losing independent candidate in the Ward B race, Joel Brooks, a relative newcomer to the political scene, managed to secure a little over 47 percent of the vote.
That’s three more percentage points than Rich Boggiano, a member of the mayor’s clique, managed to get.
Rich Boggiano had “Big Organization,” “Big Names,” and “Big Money” in his corner. Yet, with all that going for him, Rich Boggiano was unable to carry Ward C on the first ballot.
It appears that the mayor and his team under-estimated the level of support that Kevin Bing (approximately 30% of the vote) and Tom Zuppa (some 26% of the vote) were expected to receive. They also over-estimated Rich Boggiano’s popularity within Ward C.
Regardless how the run-off on December 7 turns out, the very fact that the Ward C race had to be settled in a runoff is a black eye for Rich Boggiano and the mayor.
One thing is certain. Rich Boggiano and the mayor learned a valuable lesson. Having “Big Organization,” “Big Names,” and “Big Money” in one’s corner do not necessarily result in a “Big Win.”
Respectfully yours,
Jack D’Elia
Jersey City resident