Op-Ed: Democratic elections and correcting the record in Hoboken

In an editorial, Hoboken 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher responds to her former opponent, Marla Decker, about the recent endorsements by the Hoboken Democratic Committee.

I feel compelled to address the recent Op-Ed by my opponent from our last election. Just as during our campaign, setting the record straight is essential.

Last Sunday, the Hoboken Democratic Committee, which I once chaired, convened to decide endorsements for the upcoming primary election for Congress and Senate.

Out of 84 committee seats, of which about 15-20 remain vacant, 48 members participated in the endorsement vote. Personally, I had no vested interest in their choices and didn’t expect anything other than an endorsement for Mayor Bhalla, which occurred.

However, I was frustrated to read what I felt was a misleading statement from the committee chair, praising their process as fair and democratic while criticizing the statewide County Line system and the Hudson County Democratic Organization’s process as not being democratic.

To me, they aren’t as different as portrayed, which is what I stated and I will clarify here.

Most of the Hoboken Democratic Committee, including the executive committee, were handpicked by Team Bhalla.

I know this because in 2017, I managed the operations side of the campaign for 67 Democratic committee candidates predominantly selected by then-Councilman Bhalla, Vijay Chaudhuri (Mayor Bhalla’s chief of staff), and Councilman Cohen.

The Hoboken Democratic Committee has diligently supported Democratic candidates nationwide in general elections, which I fully support. I’ve even participated in their postcard writing events.

However, in my opinion, this recent endorsement process differs.

Here, they are intervening in a primary election with multiple candidates vying for office, including Mayor Bhalla who happens to have appointed the majority of committee members voting.

When most voters are handpicked by one of the candidates being considered, can we truly call this fair or democratic?

Furthermore, when candidates running for the highest elected office except president, and who have not yet begun marketing their candidacy, are not allowed to present to committee members and instead are limited to a two-page statement for consideration, how does this align with fairness or democracy?

And when you combine the two – a biased voting base and a process intentionally structured to limit information on candidates – is that your definition of fair or democratic? It certainly isn’t mine.

Merely having a collegial group and a secret ballot is great, but it doesn’t make the overall process democratic.

This begs the question of whether their rushed process and public statement were about democracy or merely to show political support for a specific candidate.

Again, I am not bothered either way, I just believe you shouldn’t claim to be something you are not.

Why are we even having this discussion? Other than my opponent’s misleading Op-Ed.

New Jersey’s County Line Endorsement system is under scrutiny, potentially facing significant – positive – changes due to a pending Federal Court ruling.

This system, unique to New Jersey, allows a small group of elected committee members to greatly influence election outcomes by given chosen candidates an advantageous ballot position (aka “the line”).

I’ve long opposed this system because, as research shows, being “on the line” virtually guarantees victory 95% of the time, often by large margins.

This issue has gained significant attention, notably in the primary Senate race, where a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the County Line system is pending before a Federal judge.

Statewide opposition, including support from NJ Attorney General Matt Platkin, is pushing for the abolition of the County Line (search “abolish the line” for more information).

The impending ruling, anticipated early next week, holds the potential to reshape New Jersey’s political landscape, advancing us toward a more equitable, representative, and crucially, democratic electoral process.

Regarding my opponent’s Op-Ed, I never questioned how or why the Hoboken Dems decided their process. My only concern was their assertion that their endorsement process could stand up as fair and democratic. And I don’t think it can.

Lastly, if my opponent wants to revisit her campaign, including several dishonest statements about me – which I spent thousands of dollars correcting – I am open to it anytime.