Zimmer Wins Back Council Majority

Mayor Dawn Zimmer has won back her majority on the city council, with victories in the Fifth and Sixth Wards. Incumbent Councilman Peter Cunningham in the Fifth has won re-election with 680 votes. Jennifer Giattino has won in the Sixth Ward, with 641 votes, unseating incumbent Nino Giacchi, who had 535 votes.

Incumbents in the First, Third and Fourth Ward appear to have won their elections.

The vote difference between Second Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason and her main challenger Tom Greaney was 22 votes. Although the difference is small, it seems likely that there will not be a runoff.

Mason said she was happy with the result of the election. "It's fantastic," Mason said at a party Tuesday evening at City Bistro.

"Tonight we took back the city of Hoboken," said Mayor Zimmer at a victory party at Room84. "We're going to save this hospital ... we're going to save Corner Cars."

"I still don't believe it," Giattino said, "I'm in shock right now."

First Ward Councilwoman Terry Castellano had a relatively easy time of it, getting 665 votes to challenger Eric Kurta's 502.

In the Third Ward, Russo received 933 votes while Greg Lincoln got 428 votes.

In uptown Hoboken, 830 people had voted in the Second Ward by around 6 p.m.

"It's not like it was years ago; years ago it was really, really crowded," said poll worker Catherine Husted at Fox Hill in uptown Hoboken. Nowadays, she added, "the older generation doesn't come out."

Poll workers at other locations also said the turnout was low on Tuesday. With most of the results counted on Tuesday night, about 7,000 people voted, according to the Hudson County Board of Elections web site. Campaign volunteers and workers walked up and down Washington Street early on Tuesday afternoon, to get those coming home from work to go and vote.

After a morning of campaigning, Mayor Dawn Zimmer voted a little after 2 p.m., calling the council elections "crucial." At her polling station in district 4-2, close to 220 people had voted around 2 p.m.

Zimmer was fighting to regain her majority on the city council. "The stakes are huge," Zimmer said. "I absolutely need a council that will work with me."

Throughout the morning and afternoon, Hoboken's streets were colored red, white and blue, with canvassers for all candidates on many street corners.

First Ward Council candidate Eric Kurta was parked on the corner of First and Washington Streets, trying to get people to go to the polls. He said he was happy with the nice weather."It can't win an election," he said, "but bad weather will lose an election."

Third Ward candidate Greg Lincoln was walking around on Fourth and Jackson. "I couldn't ask for a more beautiful day," Lincoln said. "We've done all the work, now it's just executing."

Downtown in the Fourth Ward, the Housing Authority area was bustling with people, many of whom were wearing Tim Occhipinti T-shirts. The incumbent voted around 10:30 a.m. at 221 Jackson St. His opponent, Rami Pinchevsky, was also present at the polling station.

Among the campaign volunteers in the Fourth Ward was 25-year-old volunteer Wilberto Muniz, holding a Pinchevsky sign. He said he didn't feel lonely among his opponent's workers and volunteers, but felt more "like a soldier."

Assemblyman Ruben Ramos voted in the Fourth Ward a little after 11 a.m. PolitickerNJ called Ramos "the most obvious 2013 alternative to Zimmer" in a story about Tuesday's elections.

In the nearby Sixth Ward, a few blocks east, Jennifer Giattino shirts dominated the streets.

Uptown, in the Second Ward, incumbent Beth Mason was offering donuts and coffee outside her headquarters at 12th and Washington Streets. She said she had been talking to passers-by all morning and that she was staying positive about the election. "I am praying for Hoboken," she said.

One of her challengers, independent newcomer Franz Paetzold, said he took the day off work and was campaigning outside Starbucks. He said he’s gotten a lot of support from people walking by.

Working outside of the polling place at Marineview Plaza, located at Fourth and Hudson streets, Javier Serrano, a campaign worker for First Ward Councilwoman Terry Castellano, was out with a friendly smile greeting passersby.

“We have got a lot of people coming by,” said Serrano. “They vote, stop by to have a conversation, and keep going." 

Castellano voted around 10 a.m. at Marine View Plaza and seemed to be in good spirits. "The reception is great," she said. "It’s a beautiful day, everyone is up and about, and it’s going to be a beautiful victory too."