Did Mayor McCormac’s ties to Chris Christie hurt McCabe’s bid for Dem chair?
Peter J. Barnes Jr.
Peter J. Barnes Jr., elected Tuesday night as the chairman of the county organization, isn’t slowing down in his self-avowed quest to root out corruption from the party and reinvigorate its grass roots.
Asked how long he expects to hold the seat, he deadpanned, “10, 15 years.”
“Age is the last bias that has not been overcome,” Barnes said, answering a not-so-quiet whisper campaign that the former Assemblyman and police director in East Brunswick and Edison was perhaps past his prime.
On Tuesday Barnes beat Kevin McCabe, 38, by a vote of 517 to 412 with more than 90 percent turnout.
The organization is now picking up the pieces from its first fight over the chairmanship since 1994.
After the vote, leaders vowed to work together despite a campaign that saw state Democratic chairman John Wisniewski verbally thrash Woodbridge and its mayor, John E. McCormac, for being too friendly with Republican Gov. Chris Christie and for trying to exert too much influence over the party. McCormac backed Woodbridge resident McCabe.
The two candidates, and the party factions behind them, began clamoring for control of the organization soon after retired Sheriff Joseph Spicuzzo resigned as chairman March 7 — the same day he turned himself in on charges of corruption.
Spicuzzo pleaded not guilty to the charges of accepting bribes in exchange for jobs and influence in the Sheriff’s Department. Spicuzzo had been a county power broker for 16 years.
Spicuzzo’s name was not mentioned by the Democratic heavyweights who gathered for the convention at Pines Manor in Edison. But Barnes described it as a “pall over the party” and vowed to target corruption. He didn’t provide details.
“With my background in law enforcement, it’s like pornography: you know it when you see it,” he said.
Barnes was backed by the organization establishment, including state Sen. Bob Smith of Piscataway, Monroe Mayor Richard Pucci and Wisniewski, an assemblyman from Sayreville.
McCabe, a former labor secretary under Gov. Jim McGreevey, was nominated by state Sen. Barbara Buono of Metuchen. Buono went up against her former assembly colleague by nominating his opponent, who ran on a platform of giving more voice to local committees.
McCabe and his backers lamented how the county organization has allowed Republicans to make inroads in formerly solid Democratic municipalities. The Democrats, however, remain formidable. They have all seven freeholders, five out of six state senators and 10 out of 12 assembly seats in the county.
Last year the organization raised more than $540,000 and more than $1.2 million in 2009, according to the reports filed with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission.
Wisniewski nominated Barnes and used his speech Tuesday night to slam McCormac and praise other Democrats.
“They don’t make excuses, they don’t take walks with Chris Christie, they don’t stand on stage with him,” he said. “Peter has a strong compass. He knows what side he’s on. You never need to wonder where his loyalties lie.”
McCormac declined to respond, but said Wednesday, “Kevin is going to be the next chairman.”
“This was good for the party,” McCabe said after his loss. “Collectively we reinvigorated this party.”
HisGreyEminence 12:12 am on June 16, 2011 Permalink
I think Mayor McCormac’s ties to Governor Christie did not help the race; however, if in the same situation as Mac I doubt I would have done things differently. If the Governor called me up after the election and said I would like for you to be on my transition team I have would been honored, especially being of the opposite party. As most of us know in politics it is all about “what have you done for me lately?” Mac chose a strategic move to ensure Woodbridge have the best opportunity to receive municipal aide etc… that other towns with democratic mayors are not as privileged to receive. Shaking hands with the Governor when he comes to your town to do a town hall meeting…uh big deal.
With that said, I think McCormac was the one responsible for this loss. He is by far one of the most arrogant politicians currently playing in the game, extremely intelligent but devoid of any humility. It is that very arrogance that cost McCabe his election. McCormac has managed to infuriate almost every politician in the County, well there are his sheep that he hand picked that will bow at his feet at all costs, and this was their turn to dish out to Mac what he had them. Unfortunately Mac was not the biggest loser in this scenario it was Kevin McCabe an true inspiration for the Party, State Senator Barbara Buono, a leader in the Senate and now very far away from a Governor nomination, and the rest that stood with McCabe like Woodbridge’s own State Senator Joe Vitale, a voice for those very often not heard, that now must represent a district left fractured as a result of Mac’s many wicked games. It is a very sad day for Woodbridge and Middlesex County.