Obama has not endorsed anyone...yet!
Say what? Some of the people you'd have guessed would be for Hoboken mayoral candidate Dawn Zimmer have thought about it and come out for Peter Cammarano, and vice versa.
It was a few weeks ago that former candidate Beth Mason publicly endorsed Dawn Zimmer and her council candidate, Ravi Bhalla, but also supported her former ticket mates for the other two council seats, Vincent Addeo and Raul Morales Jr.
Not all of Mason's closest allies followed their leader, however.
In this weekend's Hoboken Reporter, Mason ally Lane Bajardi, a citizen activist, came out for Cammarano, saying he has criticized Cammarano in the past and had a tough time deciding between the two candidates, but that in the end, Peter will be the best leader.
Interestingly, he said Peter "will not sic a band of internet attack dogs on me if I'm not in lockstep with him." Indeed, supporters of Mason and Zimmer have been exchanging sharp barbs against each other on the internet since the reformer movement in Hoboken seemed to have split into a Mason camp and a Zimmer camp last year.
There have been some other surprise endorsements for Cammarano.
Hobokennow has reported that Ira Karasick, a tenants' rights lawyer and former 1993 reform candidate for mayor, has endorsed the councilman. Karasick lost a tough runoff to Anthony Russo in 1993.
Karasick also seemed to have a problem, as did Bajardi, with certain Zimmer supporters. He said in his statement: "It's not a time for uncharted diversions and personal agendas, as typified by the Lenz/Mason duet. Forceful calm is required." Mason's camp, however, had had its own problems with Zimmer ally Mike Lenz. Perhaps Karasick feels that Mason's endorsement of Zimmer makes her guilty by association?
Ines Garcia Keim, who served as Mason's campaign chairwoman, supports Cammarano, according to the same blog.
On the other hand, Maureen Sullivan, a school board candidate who was endorsed by Mason last year even when she was an independent, publicly endorsed Zimmer in a letter to our newspaper published this weekend. Zimmer had endorsed her school board slate this year, but last year, Zimmer had endorsed a slate when Sullivan ran as an independent.
And this past week, residents received an endorsement phone message from former Acting Gov. and state Senate President Dick Codey endorsing Cammarano.
Finally, Rachelle Stuiver, the wife of former Mason campaign manager Jake Stuiver, supported Zimmer in a letter to the paper this weekend. She also supported the two former Mason council candidate, and Bhalla, doing as Mason has done.
One notable but not so surprising endorsement this weekend: Council president Nino Giacchi, an attorney, went for Cammarano, publishing a letter in our newspaper.
To read the letters from this weekend, click HERE.
While Ms. Zimmer's endorsements have been largely limited to people in her political circles, Mr. Cammarano's endorsements range from a former Governor (one of the pretty good ones, as a matter of fact) to many of Beth Mason's former confidants. Seeing Ines Garcia-Keim endorse Mr. Cammarano was an eye opener. Mr. Bajardi's comments are also noteworthy.
It seems the only people following Ms. Mason's plan to support two from column A and two from Column B publicly are her former campaign manager and his wife. It makes more sense to me that this will be an up or down vote. Either Mr. Cammarano will be elected with his team or Ms. Zimmer will be elected with hers.
After speaking with each of the candidates and watching how they have conducted their campaigns (especially in these last few weeks) I am prepared to cast my vote for Peter Cammarano.