Local Dems To Choose New Chairman

The Hoboken Democratic Committee will choose its new chairman on Monday night, which will determine which side of the Mile Square's democratic party will be in charge for the coming year.

On the one side there are the "Democrats for Honest Government," headed by Councilman Ravi Bhalla, , and who are endorsed by Mayor Dawn Zimmer. On the other side are the "Real Democrats for Hoboken," with the support of Assemblyman Ruben Ramos Jr.

Ramos won the Democratic Primary on Tuesday, together with his running mate, Jersey City school board member Sean Connors.

The Hoboken Democratic Party is made up of 72 local committee seats. (A man and a woman in every district of Hoboken's six wards.) 

Although the mayor lost her majority in the local democratic party during Tuesday's democratic primaries—the latest unofficial outcome is 38 seats for the "Real Democrats" and 34 seats to the "Democrats for Honest Government"—she could still regain control of the party if not everybody shows up to Monday night's reorganization meeting.

Bhalla, who has been the party's chairman for the last year, said he enjoyed his year as head of the party but would be endorsing , the current vice chairman. On the other side, Bhalla said he received a phone call from Jamie Cryan—who worked on Ramos' and Fourth Ward Councilman Tim Occhipinti's campaign—who expressed his interest in becoming chairman.

At the re-organization meeting on Monday—which happens every year—it depends on how many people show up from either faction that will decided who becomes chairperson.

Last Tuesday after the polls closed and the results came in, at a gathering at Room84, Bhalla encouraged all the committee men and women to show up to the meeting to try to regain control of the party.

The party's main goal, Bhalla said, is to re-elect U.S. Senator Robert Menendez and President Barack Obama in November 2012.

"No matter who the chair is," Bhalla said, "our main mission is to put aside local politics and make sure Sen. Menendez is re-elected."