Gov. Jon Corzine
Gov. Jon Corzine faces a daunting re-election challenge, in Plainfield as elsewhere.
How could this overwhelmingly Democratic city, where even most unaffiliated voters pull the Dem lever in the November elections, give the governor grief?
A look at the 2009 Primary numbers should prove sobering to Democratic strategists -- both Corzine's and locally -- when contemplating this fall's campaign strategy.
Just take a look at the following chart --
2009 Primary: Votes cast for Corzine (front),
total Dem votes cast (2nd row), and total registered Dems (3rd row).
total Dem votes cast (2nd row), and total registered Dems (3rd row).
While Corzine got 62% of the Dem votes cast overall (2,732 of 4,395), a look at the ward tallies shows definite weaknesses --
Ward | Votes Cast | % of Votes | Total Dems | As % of Total Dems |
| 1 | 650 | 68% | 2864 | 23% |
| 2 | 859 | 61% | 3718 | 23% |
| 3 | 825 | 63% | 3752 | 22% |
| 4 | 398 | 54% | 2401 | 17% |
Corzine's lowest percentage is in Ward 4, at 54%. In Wards 2 and 3, Corzine's numbers, at 61% and 63% respectively, track with his statewide averages. Only in Ward 1 does he beat the averages.
But here is where the challenge to Corzine comes in: the New Dems' strength is in Wards 2 and 3, and in Ward 4 independent Democrat Bridget Rivers has chilly relations with local party chair Assemblyman Jerry Green, who as of last week was still unwilling to concede she had flat out won the 4th Ward Council seat.
Green, massively unpopular in his own Ward (he was beaten by Rick Smiley 739 to 477, and has not won election to the City Committee from his neighborhood since 1999), will have to find a way to engage both the New Dems and Ms. Rivers if he is to deliver anywhere near the totals Corzine will need to bolster his race in November.
Is Jerry up to the task?
Note: After posting, I see that Bernice has posted on the 4th Ward race. You will note our figures do not line up exactly. My data are taken from a Union County voter registration database supplied electronically in May, 2009, and the voter tally sheets of City Clerk Laddie Wyatt (minus the Republican votes cast).
-- Dan
- PolitickerNJ --
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4 comments:
Right after the primary some of my hard core Democrat friends complained that that wanted to split their vote - Dem: Mapp and Rep: Christie - because they were so pissed at Corzine. That doesn't bode well for November. And it may be that the Republican mayoral candidate will receive a lot of Democrats' anti-Sharon protest vote.
That can't make Jerry happy.
As a life long democrat I will be voting for the republican candidate for mayor, and I know at least ten other people - mostly family that will be doing the same. I hope that other like minded people will do th same. There still is a chance to unseat sharon!!!!!
Can a non-City Democratic Committee person be elected to be Chairperson of the City Democratic Committee? Just a question. I thought one had to be an elected member of the city committee to be elected to an office in the city committee.
to 3:28 PM --
Your question belongs to the post of 6/9, where it has been answered.
See "City Committee reorg. Rogers' rules rule." at http://ptoday.blogspot.com/2009/06/city-committee-reorg-rogers-rules-rule.html
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