Warning: some of the language used in the following report may be troubling to some people and inappropriate for children.
A spokesman for embattled Councilwoman Amy DeGise says that she has received “numerous death threats and vile pieces of online harassment … in recent days.”
DeGise, said the spokesman, has filed an official report with the Jersey City Police Department. The spokesman shared screenshots of some of the harassing messages. They are posted below. The Jersey City Times was unable to verify the authenticity of the messages.
According to the report, “death threats were made by email and on social media and include messages telling her to ‘drop dead,’ saying she ‘needs a bullet in the head,’ saying she should be ‘shot on sight,’ calling her a ‘stupid ugly bitch,’ saying ‘you fucking whore, death is near,’ saying ‘don’t you realize you live within arms reach of MANY violent gang members, you actually think your not going to receive retaliation???’ and many other disturbing comments.” The harassment is also said to have included numerous “vulgar” telephone calls to DeGise’s employer, a local public school.
Said spokesman Phil Swibinski. “It is reprehensible for anyone to make these kinds of direct threats of violence and we hope that the perpetrators are prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This situation has created strong feelings in many people, but no one should condone these kinds of violent threats and this should be a reminder to everyone to tone down the rhetoric and refrain from inflammatory actions that could have real world consequences.”
Swibinski said that DeGise reported the threats to the JCPD on Monday.
A damning new video confirms critics’ worst suspicions
For the second time in recent years, an SUV driven through an intersection by a member of “Team Fulop” has touched off a full-blown scandal and raised questions about corruption, privilege, and self-dealing by a close political ally of the mayor.
Suspicions that officials close to the levers of political power might be abusing their positions were heightened today when Hudson County View released a video showing Councilwoman Amy DeGise attempting to coerce a Hoboken police officer this past November as he arranged to have her car towed.
Last week, CCTV cameras caught DeGise hitting a bicyclist in her SUV and driving away without so much as applying the brakes.
DeGise’s troubles harken back to those of former Ward B Councilman Khemraj “Chico” Ramchal who, on the morning of March 14, 2015, ran a red light at the intersection of Communipaw and West Side Avenues and collided with two cars. What followed was a steady stream of damaging revelations that ultimately led to Ramchal’s resignation and criminal conviction.
As the facts dribbled out, Ramchal’s behavior became an increasing source of embarrassment for the Fulop administration. Ramchal, the police determined, had been driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.15, nearly twice the legal limit. In violation of the rules and the stated policy of the Fulop administration, he was driving an SUV registered to the Jersey City Incinerator Authority where he was an unpaid commissioner.
An investigation by the Jersey Journal revealed that Ramchal had regularly used the SUV for personal use late at night and out of town. Worse for Ramchal, GPS data showed his cruising in the SUV or parking it at home during hours when he had claimed on timesheets to be working at the offices of the Hudson County Improvement Authority.
Local pols were almost uniformly uncritical. Ward C Councilman Rich Boggiano told the Journal, “A lot of people like Chico … the main thing is he learned his lesson, and he’s sorry.” Said then Journal writer, Terrence McDonald, “The mayor declined to distance himself from Ramchal even as the allegations against the councilman mounted.” Only Councilman Daniel Rivera veered from the party line, telling the Journal that Ramchal “[had] to be accountable.”
Nonetheless, fourteen months later, Ramchal pleaded guilty to assault by auto and to theft by deception related to what was, in essence, a “no show” job at the Improvement Authority. He was permanently banned from elective office and government work in New Jersey.
The DeGise scandal, bears a remarkable resemblance to the Ramchal imbroglio. As was Ramchal, DeGise is a close ally of the mayor with ambitions of moving higher. Like Ramchal, DeGise has refused to resign. And, like Ramchal, DeGise is being treated with kid gloves by all but two city council members — Frank Gilmore and James Solomon — who did not run as part of “Team Fulop.” Mayor Fulop, while criticizing DeGise’s decision to drive away, has not called for her resignation.
Unlike Ramchal, however, DeGise is facing a significant public outcry, with Hudson County progressives, which have long been thwarted by DeGise and the Hudson County Democratic Organization that she headed up, leading the charge. As the images of DeGise driving away as a cyclist somersaults to the pavement continue to propagate on national news sites, her allies may soon run for political cover.
A spokesman for Councilwoman-at-large Amy DeGise has put the kibosh on speculation that she will resign following last week’s hit-and-run, in spite of a report seeming to show that it took DeGise six hours to report the accident to police and calls for her to do so.
“Councilwoman DeGise was elected overwhelmingly just a few months ago and she has no intention of walking away from the commitment she made to serve the people of Jersey City. She will not resign and plans to complete her full term and continue in public service” said Phil Swibinski in a statement released today.
“Amy recognizes the calls that have been made for additional information and transparency. She would very much like to address this situation more comprehensively, but there is a legal process that must play out first and she will not be making any additional public comment at this time.”
“As she has said previously, she is thankful that no one was seriously injured and she fully intends to speak out more when the legal process is concluded. She will continue working hard to serve the people who elected her, just as she has since she was inaugurated in January.”
Last week, CCTV footage was released to the public that showed DeGise striking a bicyclist as she drove through the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Forrest Street.
The video showed the cyclist, 29-year-old Andrew Black, flipping in the air and falling to the pavement. Black was not seriously injured, however.
DeGise continued driving without stopping and was later issued summonses for leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report the accident.
Today, the Jersey Journal posted a video showing DeGise arriving at the Jersey City Police West District at approximately 2 p.m., six hours after her collision with the cyclist.
A group led by progressive activists Hector Oseguera, David Ocampo-Grajales and Ron Bautista have announced a rally on Saturday to demand the resignation.
A petition posted by Megan Carolan demanding her resignation has garnered over 1,500 signatures.
A group led by progressive activists Hector Oseguera, David Ocampo-Grajales and Ron Bautista have announced a rally tomorrow at 3 p.m. at the Grove Street PATH Station plaza to demand the resignation of embattled Councilwoman-at-large Amy DeGise.
Last week, CCTV footage was released to the public that showed DeGise striking a bicyclist as she drove through the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Forrest Street.
The video showed the cyclist, 29-year-old Andrew Black, flipping in the air and falling to the pavement. Black was not seriously injured, however.
DeGise continued driving without stopping and was later issued summonses for leaving the scene of an accident and failing to report the accident.
The hit-and-run has become a rallying point for pedestrian safety and bicycle activists as well as progressives who have unsuccessfully battled the powerful Hudson County Democratic Organization which DeGise ran until recently.
In a statement to the Jersey City City Times, the group explained, “We need to hold our elected officials to a higher standard than your average citizen. While some of our current elected officials claim to want to give the opportunity for a court of law to judge the matter, we have regular citizens who don’t get the same treatment. How can we trust a government body that is not willing to be the gold standard for what we should be like in society? We can pass judgment all we want but the video is clear. A hit and run occurred and the driver did not even press on the brakes or check to see if anything happened. The average resident at least taps on the brakes if they hit a pothole! Many residents hold Jersey City elected officials in high regards and assume they have good moral standards. If there is no accountability, this event will yet again stain and tarnish the reputation of our local government.”
For several years, DeGise was a rising star in Hudson County politics. The daughter of Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, the former teacher served on the Jersey City Board of Education, as the Chairwoman of the Hudson County Democratic Organization and was elected to an at-large seat on the Jersey City Municipal Council last year after joining Mayor Fulop’s slate. She has been mentioned as a possible mayoral candidate should Mayor Fulop step down to run for governor, as many expect.
While members of “Team Fulop” with which DeGise ran for office in November have remained largely quiet, Ward E Councilman James Solomon and Ward F Councilman Frank Gilmore have called for her resignation. Mayor Fulop did criticize DeGise’s decision to leave the scene of the accident.
By former Jersey City Ward B Councilman Chris Gadsden
The cyclist, Andy S. Black, could have been killed and this hit-and-run needs to be taken seriously. While the Hudson County political establishment says that things have to play out In court and tries to blame this whole incident on Andy, please remember one thing, Andy may have committed a traffic violation, but leaving the scene is a crime.
Concerned residents of Jersey City still need the truth about what happened after Councilwoman DeGise hit Mr. Black.
Who called who first about the hit-and-run (The JCPD or the Councilwoman?) Who did the councilwoman speak to before talking with the police? After the councilwoman left the scene, what time did the councilwoman contact the police and who advised her to do so? Why was the councilwoman issued summons and not arrested for leaving the scene? Why wasn’t she asked the morning of the incident to submit to an alcohol or even a drug test, if it was deemed necessary?
Mayor Fulop agrees that Councilwoman DeGise should have stayed on the scene and because of Hudson County politics and political friendships, the mayor, and the majority of the city council will not ask for Councilwoman DeGise to resign. Councilman Solomon said it best, “While she should have her day in court, it should be as a private citizen.” Councilwoman DeGise will be forgiven, but she can’t be an effective legislator knowing that she violated the public trust.
I know Mayor Fulop is considering the following things:
1. Councilwoman DeGise resigns before September 1st; special election in November 2022.
2. Councilwoman Amy DeGise resigns after September 1st, and City Council appoints someone to serve until a special election in November 2023. (Election will be mixed with highly contested State and County races)
3. Councilwoman Amy DeGise does not resign and this follows the mayor like a plague as he tries to run for Governor in 2025.
Mayor Fulop preparing for special council elections in either 2022 or 2023 before running for governor would be a challenge, not for the lack of money, but the inconvenience.
Even though there seems to be unity within the Hudson County Democratic Organization, Democratic gubernatorial candidates from all over New Jersey will either capitalize on or play a role in weakening the mayor in his home base of Jersey City and Hudson County. Republican candidates for Governor throughout the state will reflect on the fact that the former head of the Hudson County Democratic Party was allowed stay in office after possibly killing someone, and leaving the scene to report to work.
If Mayor Fulop does not handle this situation properly, this will hurt him. The mayor can survive without Amy DeGise, but his political aspirations will be challenged if he does not take leadership and ask his political friend to resign.
The power of money, establishment backing, name recognition and a controversial ballot design were on full display last night as Robert Menendez Jr. and Donald Payne Jr. easily won the right to run as Democratic congressional standard bearers in the November general election.
Menendez, 36, who will run to succeed retiring Albio Sires in the 8th congressional district, would, if elected, represent largely the same area that his father, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez Sr. represented until 2006. The district spans portions of North Bergen, Union City, Hoboken, Jersey City, Bayonne, Elizabeth, and Newark.
Following the announcement in January that he would run, Menendez received the backing of virtually the entire Democratic establishment as well as organized labor.
Payne who has held his father’s former seat in New Jersey’s 10th congressional district since 2012 also received widespread establishment backing. His district encompasses portions of Essex, Hudson and Union counties, and includes the cities of Newark and Orange.
In a primary where only 8 percent of registered voters cast ballots, Menendez cruised to victory with 83 percent of the vote. His two progressive challengers, Ane Roseborough-Eberhard and David Ocampo Grajales were only able to muster 5 percent and 11 percent of the vote respectively.
Ocampo Grajales was able to spend $37,000 on his campaign. Menendez raised over one million dollars for his.
Payne was also running against two progressives, Imani Oakley and Akil Khalfani. Like Mendendez, Payne glided to victory with 80 percent of the vote to Oakley’s 16 percent and Khalfani’s 3 percent.
With a war chest of close to $1 million, Payne out-raised Oakley by more than two to one.
Apart from name recognition and establishment backing, both Menendez and Payne may have also benefited from the ballot design, which placed them with other candidates endorsed by their respective Democratic organizations.
Many challengers and academics have argued the ballot design gives party-backed candidates an unfair advantage and is a reason so-called “off the line” candidates — often challengers to incumbents — rarely succeed. Last month, a federal judge ruled that a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the ballot design may proceed.
In November, Payne will face Republican David H. Pinckney. Menendez will go up against Republican Marcos A. Arroyo.
Next Tuesday’s Democratic primary to fill the seat of outgoing congressman Albio Sires has received outsized media attention in no small part due to the presence of Rob Menendez, son of U.S. Senator Robert Menendez, who has served in the Senate since 2006.
On Saturday, The Daily Beast published a lengthy piece detailing the elder Menendez’s behind-the-scenes efforts to install his 36-year-old son in his old Capitol Hill office. Despite Menendez’s clear, and to many, unearned, advantages, the election sets up a classic battle between the progressive and centrist wings of the Democratic party.
In December, Sires announced that he would step down after serving for 16 years. The oddly shaped district spans portions of North Bergen, Union City, Hoboken, Jersey City, Bayonne, Elizabeth, and Newark.
No sooner had Sires made his announcement than the younger Menendez threw his hat into the ring. He immediately garnered endorsements from organized labor and the entire Democratic establishment, including the Hudson Democratic Organization. With the latter came a place on the ballot’s coveted party “line.”
David Ocampo Grajales
A case is currently pending in federal court to declare the party line unconstitutional because, it is argued, it confers an unfair advantage to those who, for example, are grouped together with better known, national party candidates.
Before the small group assembled at the Barrow Mansion last month, the candidates shared a long-windedness that prompted moderator Rebecca Missel to set a 90-second limit for their answers to questions. But otherwise, the three were a study in contrasts, with Menendez sounding much like a traditional centrist Democrat and Roseborough-Eberhard and Ocampo Grajales staking out the progressive ground.
Asked what his first priority would be upon taking office, Menendez sounded like a seasoned legislator: ready to do deals and affect change incrementally.
“We need to deconstruct Build Back Better and try to pass three parts of the Build Back Better plan that would benefit families,” he said, referring to universal pre-k, the child tax-credit and capping childcare expenses at 7 percent, which, he said “can be done in a bi-partisan way.”
If Roseborough-Eberhard and Ocampo Grajales would arrive in Washington eager to compromise with Republicans, they didn’t mention it. Rosenborough-Eberhad said her priority would be “supporting the policies that the Democrats have put in place. I would support the party.”
Ane Roseborough-Eberhard
Both Roseborough-Eberhard and Ocampo Grajales support the Green New Deal, a piece of legislation introduced by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and universally reviled by the GOP.
They also share a progressive’s expansive view of government. Said Ocampo, “I support Medicare for All because I believe that everyone has the right to high-quality health care. I support investing in affordable housing because everyone has the right to live in a decent home. I support investing to expand our public transportation system.”
On economic issues, Ocampo Grajales sounded not unlike Bernie Sanders. “The rent goes up, but income stays the same. Health insurance gets more expensive but covers less. The floods get worse while fossil fuel companies report record profits and price gouge.”
Indeed, Ocampo Grajales has received endorsements from Progressive Democrats of New Jersey, former Democratic presidential primary contender Marianne Williamson, and others. Roseborough-Eberhard bemoaned the fact that her union, the New Jersey Education Association, had chosen not to endorse her. Like virtually every other union in New Jersey, that distinction went to Menendez.
Roseborough-Eberhard said she wants to build recreation centers for children and “would love for this country to have a secretary of culture.” She supports free college education and vocational training. Responding to the recent mass shooting in Buffalo, she said that Congress should, “like Germany,” make certain hate speech illegal.
The three candidates found common ground on social issues, with all three criticizing the recent leaked draft opinion that would overturn the constitutional right to abortion under Roe v. Wade. Congress, said Roseborough-Eberhard, needs more women. Women are the “best people” to protect abortion rights she added. Referring to abortion rights and marriage equality, Menendez said, “We have to fight for everything we’ve achieved to date.”
Rob Menendez
Stylistically and professionally, the three are markedly different. Menendez, clearly steeped in the art of politics and unaided by notes, looked like an experienced candidate, making sure to both ingratiate himself and establish his bona fides. “What you are doing is important,” he told members of the Van Vorst Park Association. His Cuban and Hudson County roots “made me what I am,” he said.
Menendez practices business law at the firm Lowenstein Sandler and serves as a commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Having gone to college at The University of North Carolina and law school at Rutgers, he now lives with his wife and daughter in Bergen-Lafayette..
Reading from notes, the otherwise charismatic Roseborough-Eberhard has the friendly and reassuring voice one might expect of the high school history teacher she is. “The plant swap you did over the weekend looks pretty cool,” she said in praise of the crowd. Her father served in the Army for over twenty years, and she has lived on three continents. Accordingly, she says, “My platform speaks to everyone.” She teaches at Weehawken High School.
Roseborough-Eberhard received her master’s in American History from Pace University. In 2018, she was appointed to the New Jersey Amistad Commission, which is concerned with the teaching of American history in the state’s public schools and the role of African Americans in that history. Prior to becoming a teacher, Roseborough-Eberhard worked in marketing at major labels in the music industry.
Ocampo Grajales, a graduate of New York University, is soft-spoken and earnest. His father is a truck driver who was born in Medellin, Columbia. His mother, who was born in Cali, Columbia, cleaned houses. “I grew up working class,” he said. He lives in Jersey City and is a director of a start-up that “helps hospitals and universities to ensure worker safety and create accountability for environmental compliance.”
The June 7 primary will determine which of the three contenders will represent the Democratic party in the November election.
His guests read like a who’s who of Hudson County pols. Yet in many ways, Fernando Uribe shares little politically with those who appear on his podcast “Talk on the Hudson,” where he conducts weekly interviews with movers and shakers on the local political scene.
On March 1, Talk on the Hudson celebrated its five-year anniversary. “In 2016 I had this epiphany … listening to Rush, Hannity, and Air America when it was still on … there really isn’t a podcast here in Hudson County that delves into Hudson County politics, and I decided to give it a go,” said Uribe, revealing some of his right-of-center influences.
Uribe settled on the platform Blog Talk Radio and put the word out that he was open for business. “I made it a point to contact everyone locally and said ‘listen I’m going to be doing a political podcast … I’m not going to compete with anyone; I just wanted to stand out and be different.'” On March 1, 2017, Talk on the Hudson was born.
The podcast, which routinely runs over an hour, has featured everyone from Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla to New Jersey State Assemblywoman Annette Chaparro. Uribe has interviewed local newspeople including Steve Lenox of TapInto, John Heinis of Hudson County View, and this writer. Uribe has garnered numerous awards, including being named a “Top Latino” in New Jersey in 2020, 2021, and 2022 by The Latino Spirit.
At first blush, Uribe would seem an unlikely interlocutor for his overwhelmingly Democratic guests. But for Uribe, there’s nothing strange about it. Growing up in West New York, he was always interested in getting to know the local power brokers irrespective of their political affiliation.
Indeed, Uribe, who is a registered Independent, points out that his first vote for president was for Bill Clinton,
“On the social issues, I tend to be pretty moderate,” he says, adding “In 2013, I was working with Hudson County TV, and I was the first journalist to interview the first couple to apply for a same-sex marriage license.”
However, he parts company with what he calls the “woke crowd” on gender politics. “We can learn about Harvey Milk. He’s a guy that is important historically. I don’t have an issue with that. But where I draw the line is teaching gender identity to five year olds. It’s madness.”
Moreover, on economic issues Uribe is a classic conservative. Some of this, no doubt, is the result of his upbringing. While his Cuban mother is apolitical, Uribe’s Colombian father is not, he says. “Fernando, Sr., is much more conservative than Fernando, Jr., ” says Uribe. He attributes his father’s politics to “growing up in Latin America and seeing how socialism has grown” and how “countries go backwards … because of socialism.”
Uribe is proud of his Latin American roots. “I didn’t learn English until I was five. I’m bilingual. I’m really grateful for that.”
In 2011, Uribe ran for state assembly as a Republican. He knew it was a lost cause in the overwhelmingly Democratic 33rd district but “did it as a favor to the chair.” Of the experience he says, “never again.” On reproductive rights, however, Uribe broke with conservative orthodoxy. “I was the first Republican in 50 years to be endorsed by NOW [The National Organization of Women].”
Uribe, who conducts his interviews in a genial, non-confrontational style unlike some of his conservative role models, is proud of his reputation for being fair. He feels that he and his podcast have achieved a modicum of respect. “People keep wanting to come on the show and talk … [state] Senator Cunningham doesn’t do a lot of interviews, but she’s been on my show multiple times.”
Among others, Uribe credits his interviews of Hudson County Democratic Organization Chair Amy DeGise, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis, and Union City Mayor and New Jersey State Senator Brian Stack as having helped to put his podcast on the map.
Conspicuously absent from the interview list is Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop. “I was the only journalist back in late 2012 into early 2013 giving [Fulop] any airtime,” Uribe says. In those days, Uribe was working for Hudson County TV. During his first summer in office, Uribe would meet with Fulop every couple of weeks. Over the following year, however, the mayor cut off communication with him in spite of a promise he had made to do regular interviews.
Fulop’s “fickleness” puzzles Uribe given the many other officials who’ve been on his show, including members of Fulop’s slate. “The bottom line is that the chair of the Hudson County Democratic Party has no problem talking with me. Brian Stack has no problem talking to me. Nick Sacco has no problem talking to me. The mayor of West New York has no problem talking to me: It’s annoyed me, but I’ve been fine.”
Notwithstanding the apparent friction with Jersey City’s mayor, Uribe appears to have good relations with Hudson County Democrats generally. Why is that, I ask. “This is very blue collar, working class area,” Uribe says. “A lot of the Democrats I talk to are middle of the road.”
I ask him what accounts for the weakness of Republicans in Hudson County. “Republican social stands turned a lot of people off,” he responds without missing a beat. “Democrats have done a very good job communicating that they’re pragmatic.” Republicans “know what’s wrong with New Jersey but haven’t been able to cultivate a good messenger.”
Uribe has his sights set higher than a local podcast, however. “I’d love to be on Fox or Newsmax. I think there’s no representation for Hispanics.”
Republished courtesy of New Jersey Monitor. (Originally published on December 24, 2021)
The race to make sure Robert Menendez Jr. glides into the House of Representatives as Rep. Albio Sires’ successor is New Jersey politics at its worst.
It’s been just four days since Sires announced he will retire at the end of his current term, and Menendez — the son of Sen. Bob Menendez, obvs — has received the endorsement of Gov. Phil Murphy, Sires, state Sen. Joe Cryan, Hudson County Democratic Chair Amy DeGise, and nearly every major Hudson County Democrat, among others.
There are six months until the primary. There are no declared candidates. Zero issues have been discussed. Not one vote has been cast. Yet Junior has all-but secured the Democratic nomination for the 8th Congressional District, which means — absent an electoral disaster for the Democratic Party that even optimistic Republicans aren’t predicting — he will become the liberal district’s next congressman.
A better illustration of the power political bosses have over New Jersey elections I can’t recall.
I talked to Julia Sass Rubin, a professor at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, who has been critical of the process that allows a handful of party bosses to award their party’s endorsement and, with it, superior ballot placement. With the bosses on his side, Menendez the younger will receive a better spot on the ballot than whoever dares to challenge him, virtually guaranteeing his primary victory.
Rubin said the decision by high-profile Democrats to line up behind Menendez Jr. shows “just a few people hold all the power, and the voters are basically irrelevant to who gets elected.”
This reminds her of 2014, when Rep. Rob Andrews announced his retirement and, within hours, Donald Norcross — brother of South Jersey power broker George Norcross — secured the support of the Democratic establishment. Norcross won the primary, of course, and now represents New Jersey’s 1st Congressional District.
“This pattern of nepotism and lack of democracy is par for the course in New Jersey because of the political machines and the county line,” she said.
For me, what’s troubling here is not the nepotism. If voters have a choice and decide to go with the guy whose dad is famous, that’s up to them.
But this is about robbing voters of that choice. The parade of Democrats who announced this week — days before Christmas, as untold New Jerseyans are distracted by COVID panic — that they are backing Menendez Jr. is not about convincing voters he’s the best guy for the job.
No, this is about signaling to possible challengers they’d better not think of standing in the way of the political career of Sen. Bob Menendez’s son. We’re talking about a senator who once stood outside a courthouse and announced on camera that he is vengeful and has a long memory. Would you want to cross him?
I have no idea if Rob Menendez is the best person to represent the 8th District. But neither does the governor nor any other Democrat now racing to endorse him, yet they are paving the way for Menendez to join Congress without substantive opposition. The whole thing stinks worse than 13A.
Standing next to his parents, his wife and his two children, Mayor Steven M. Fulop was sworn in today to a third term of office.
Reading from a teleprompter, the mayor then made remarks in a subdued tone of voice, paying homage to family members. Of his late grandparents Fulop said, “They lost 28 of 35 of our family members in the gas chambers. They picked up the pieces of their lives and believed in what this country and the state represents. I would not be here today without their resilience and their faith in this country. That’s what has guided me and my commitment to serving the military. And that’s what guided me and my commitment to public service. I view it as a partial payment for citizenship.”
The mayor also paid tribute to his father. “He worked in his deli in Newark from 4:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. to provide a better life for our family than what he had experienced. Everything we had was because of his work ethic. The lesson there for me was that nothing comes easy in life, and hard work is rewarded.” The mayor spoke of his mother’s work with immigrants.
Mayor Fulop, whose margin of victory over newcomer Lewis Spears in November was considerably smaller than his winning margin in 2017, nonetheless touted his achievement in winning a third term. “Standing here as the first three-term elected mayor since Frank Hague did it in 1945 is a humbling experience.”
The speech included little in the way of policy specifics. “I don’t need to rattle off accomplishments as I think we all know the city today is a very different place than it was eight years ago … I think we can all say that there’s not a single city in the state or the country that can boast our breadth and depth of accomplishments.”
The mayor said little about his plans for his next term. “I also say it’s the next four years and the impact we will make that will matter most. I stand here today thankful for the chance to lead during these challenging times.”
Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore is sworn in
Prior to the mayor, each of the recently elected City Council members had stepped up to the podium to be sworn in.
New to the proceedings were Councilwoman-at-large Amy DeGise, who ran as a member of “Team” Fulop, and Frank “Educational” Gilmore, who prevailed over Fulop slate member Jermaine Robinson in Ward F.
Gilmore, who, as a younger man, served time in prison on drug charges, was sworn in by the judge who presided over his juvenile court case. Gilmore tweeted, “Tonight was a surreal feeling. When I was a troubled teen, I stood before Judge Baber in juvenile court. Twenty-five years later he sworn me in as the next Ward F councilman. Anything is possible, people.”
Also sworn in were Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley, Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey, Ward C Councilman Richard Boggiano, Ward D Councilman Yusef Saleh, Ward E Councilman James Solomon, Councilwoman-at-large Joyce Watterman and Councilman-at-large Daniel Rivera.
None of the council members made remarks at the swearing in.
