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Sunday, March 23, 2014

Primary campaigning starts up

They've started...

Residents of Plainfield's First Ward are already being bombarded with robocalls in the first moves of this year's primary campaign season, according to reports received last week.

And the filing deadline for petitions is still over  week away.

Robocalls were introducing RDO candidate Diane Toliver, a political newcomer, to First Ward residents. Toliver was designated by Plainfield Dem chair Assemblyman Jerry Green to run for the seat of Councilor William Reid, who has chosen to step down.

Spending precious campaign dollars at such an early date is most unusual for Green, who has a reputation for being tight-fisted with campaign money. But maybe he smells trouble.

The RDO slate, singlehandedly put forward by Green at a city committee meeting on March 14 wihtout input or voting by the elected committee members will face off against a New Dem team led by incumbent Wards 2/3 Councilor Rebecca Williams.

The RDO's other cnadidates are Charles Eke, who is running against Ms. Williams and  Gloria Taylor, who is facing off against Charles McRae.

Eke, currently an altenrate on the PMUA board of commissioners has been yearning for a Council seat for years.

Taylor, widoe of the late mayor Rick Taylor, was handpicked by Green in January to fill the seat left vacant when former Ward 3 Councilor Mapp was sworn in as mayor. While bringing a welcome touch of elegance to Council meetings, several of her statements have raised eyebrows among seasoned politics watchers in the Queen City.

Rumors abound that Councilor Reid, who publicly announced he was not running at this past month's PMUA board meeting, will step down early to allow Green to instal Ms. Toliver in the tried-but-true switcheroo maneuver so she can have the so-called advantage of incumbency.

We shall see.

The deadline for petitions for the Ward 1, Ward 3 and Wards 2/3 at-large seats is Monday, March 31, at 4:00 PM.





  -- Dan Damon [follow]


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1 comments:

Bob said...

Jerry Green is in trouble because voters see him as putting in people to run who will do his bidding. Whether that is true or not, many, like myself, will campaign for the other Democratic candidates. We need balance on the City Council and right not it has none. I wonder if Jerry has signed his own pink slip with his choices for City Council. We shall see.