Jamie Cryan Elected As New Democratic Party Chairman

Fourth Ward resident Jamie Cryan—who has been involved as a campaign manager with Councilman Tim Occhipinti and Assemblyman Ruben Ramos Jr.—was elected to be the Hoboken Democratic Party's chairman for the coming year.

Cryan got 36 votes on Monday night during the party's annual reorganization meeting at Room84. Greeted outside by a jubilant crowd—which involved Ramos, Occhipinti, Frank Raia, Inez Garcia Keim, Councilwoman Theresa Castellano and other politicos—Cryan walked out of the bar, smiling.

Phil Cohen, who was nominated by the "Democrats for Honest Government," got 32 votes.

Cryan, 36, is not an elected committee man for the party. He said it was Ramos' idea for him to become the new chairman.

As a son of Irish immigrants, Cryan said, he holds Democratic values in high regard. His main two goals with the party, he added, is to get more people out to vote and re-energize the party. The ultimate goal, though, is to get U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and President Barack Obama re-elected next year.

Cryan's leadership means that the control of the party is now in hands of the "Real Democrats of Hoboken," the slate that is not aligned with Mayor Dawn Zimmer.

But, if it's up to Cryan, he'll reunite the party. "It's time to come together," he said.