Hudson County prepares for war in three Assembly districts, Sheriff’s race

Hudson County is bracing for several intense down-ballot primary fights in June between candidates backed by the county Democratic organization and those allied with gubernatorial candidate Steve Fulop, the three-term mayor of Jersey City, in a primary that is expected to have no organization line. 

In the 32nd legislative district, the organization appears ready to support Jenny Pu, the director of the Hoboken Public Library and a PTA president and community activist in Jersey City, and Crystal Fonseca, a manager at the Jersey City Department of Public Safety and a former Newark school board member. 

Assemblywoman Jessica Ramirez (D-Jersey City), seeking a second term, will run with Fulop.  The other incumbent, freshman John Allen (D-Bayonne), is not a candidate for re-election.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla (D-Hoboken) is seeking an Assembly seat; so is Katie Brennan, a former chief of staff at the New Jersey Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency.  It’s not clear who they will run with, if anyone.

The district includes Hoboken and part of Jersey City.

In the 31st district, Assemblywoman Barbara McCann Stamato (D-Jersey City), won’t have organization backing for a second term; she’ll run with Fulop.

Instead, Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker of Jersey City will team up with Assemblyman William Sampson (D-Bayonne) as the organization-backed candidates.

The 31st includes Bayonne and part of Jersey City.

There’s also a hotly-contested Assembly fight in the 33rd district, where Union City Mayor/State Sen. Brian P. Stack is backing first-term Assemblyman Gabriel Rodriguez (D-West New York) and Larry Wainstein, a political rival of North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco.    The two also have the backing of West New York Mayor Albio Sires, Weehawken Mayor Richard Turner, and Hudson County Executive Craig Guy, the Democratic county chairman.

Assemblyman Julio Marenco (D-North Bergen),  a Sacco ally, will seek a second term on the Fulop slate.  Potential running mates include former Assemblywoman Angelica Jimenez (D-West New York) and former West New York Commissioner Margarita Guzman; the two ran together for local office in 2023 on a ticket opposing Sires.

In the race for Hudson County Sheriff, Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis is preparing to launch a primary challenge to incumbent Frank Schillari.  Davis will have the backing of Stack, Guy, Sires, Turner, and the HCDO; Schillari have the support of Fulop, Sacco, Bhalla, and the mayors of Secaucus, Harrison, Guttenberg, and East Newark.