With six candidates running for a council seat between Hoboken’s 5th and 6th Wards, the Mile Square City could see their first ever December runoff elections this year.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
In the 5th Ward, attorney Phil Cohen, first time candidate Nicola Maganuco, a finance professional, and another newcomer, Tim Crowell, will be seeking to fill a vacant seat left by incumbent Peter Cunningham.
He announced in July that he would not seek re-election or “anoint” his successor. He currently appears poised to support Crowell at this point, but has not made any formal endorsement at this time.
Cohen, who unsuccessfully ran for freeholder in 2014, is running on Mayor Ravi Bhalla’s five-person slate and is largely considered the frontrunner right now.
Meanwhile, in the 6th Ward, incumbent Jen Giattino will face off with Cristen Cricco-Powell, also part of the Team Bhalla ticket, and Frank Rosner – who is running as an independent.
Last November, Hoboken voters elected to bring back runoffs by a nearly 3-to-1 margin after they had been eliminated via referendum back in 2012.
This year would be the first time a December runoff is possible though, with the last Hoboken runoff coming on June 9th, 2009, where Peter Cammarano defeated Dawn Zimmer by 161 votes in a razor-thin mayoral contest.
However, Cammarano would be arrested just 22 days later as part of Operation Bid Rig and Zimmer would end up serving mayor for two terms before Bhalla was elected in 2017.
Runoff elections occur in the event that any given candidate is unable to get over 50 percent of the vote (commonly referred to as “50 plus one), meaning that at least three candidates must be running for a runoff to be a possibility.
The other four ward races are all feature head-to-head contests: Mike DeFusco vs. Migdala Pagan-Milano in the 1st Ward, Tiffanie Fisher against Nora Martinez-Debenedetto in the 2nd Ward, Michael Russo facing off with Ron Bautista in the 3rd Ward and Ruben Ramos squaring off with Lisa Sprengle in the 4th Ward.
Just saw the GA latest fiction. Is she dumb or what? While Jason and John are probably down in the clerk’s office looking at the signatures the incumbents got to spread lies specifically to those petition signers GA thinks the number of signatures means something. Lying dummy. Can’t stand her.
Nancy had two choices: get medication for her mental condition or be a total loon for Ravi.
She chose poorly.
Perhaps you should look in the mirror and get some much needed medication yourself.
Why the name calling? Why can’t you just talk up your guy, try to convince voters why they should vote for him instead of her? Kind of juvenile, are you new at this?
Because then Ravi can’t win.
You guys ever consider just texting each other these thoughts? Spare the rest of us the “Blog Feud” details
^^THIS!!!!
Yeah, no kidding, thank you. I’m guessing about three people at most are responsible for all the non-stop inter-blog nonsense posts, can’t you guys create your own sub and bad-mouth each other over there? Read my lips: No. One. Cares.
Why the whining? It’s gotten so much better here since she was ordered back to trial. The Stink on us was literally spamming this entire comments section.
You’re acknowledging it’s past tense. Why don’t you be past tense too?
Anyone reading Grafix Avenger’s story today about the petitions will see that is blatantly untrue.
In The First Ward Migdala Pagan-Powell collected 3 times the number of petitions as the incumbent. That may be because he doesn’t have the services of Frank Raia anymore.
Holy cow, a fake first warder pushing the same old Pupie. SMH, these Ravibots sure are predictable. Not in the first ward but I highly doubt DeFusco is scared off by the efforts inside City Hall to collect petitions for the mayor’s office employee. The Russo Clan sure does want revenge for Terry and Ravi Bhalla is happy to work with the Russo’s!
Thanks for posting that it makes your boy look more sleazy then we in the First Ward think he is.
Not a first ward resident but neither are you. Only real votes count.
Yeah that must be it. Exposing who your support base is makes for GREAT electoral politics.
Don’t worry Migdalia had Terry Castellano collecting petitions. The Cousin of a convicted former mayor and the the cousin of the guy dragged to jail for embezzling quarters from parking meters is a great person to have on your side.
You posting your insults of respected First Ward residents it reenforces the widely held belief that he not going to represent us.
“It’s been cleared up. Uh-huh, it’s been cleared up.”
– Terry Castellano covering up the HPU missing million quarters.