As judge prepares to decide future of the line, Vainieri highlights ‘no process’ process

Three days before a federal judge will hear arguments on why the county organization lines should be abolished — and whether he process is constitutional and fair — Hudson County Democratic Chairman Anthony Vainieri, Jr. issued a public statement highlighting his own process of unilaterally awarding his line in the U.S. Senate primary to Tammy Murphy.

Vainieri had endorsed Murphy last November, the day she entered the Senate race, saying, “the Hudson County Democratic Organization is honored to give Tammy Murphy our full, unequivocal support.”  So it’s not immediately clear why he chose to publicly renew his endorsement vow so close to a court hearing that threatens to completely upend New Jersey’s political process.

The deadline for submitting a slogan letter to award the line is March 28, if the line still exists by then. 

Murphy’s presence on the line has been long assumed; she has the backing of the Democrats who make the decisions in Hudson: County Executive Craig Guy, Union City Mayor/State Sen. Brian P. Stack, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco, State Sen. Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City), every mayor but Ravi Bhalla of Hoboken, the entire legislative delegation, and all nine county commissioners.  To be clear, Vainieri is merely an apparatchik — but with the bylaw authority to pick who gets the line  

Still, the Hudson line is critical to Murphy.  In a county that produces the fourth-highest number of primary votes in the state; in 2020, Hudson represented 7.3% of the total votes cast statewide.

“In consultation with our Mayors, state legislative leaders, municipal chairs and Democratic leaders, the HCDO is united in supporting Tammy Murphy and ready to work hard to get out the vote for her and our entire team,” Vainieri said today.  “We need a strong Democrat like Tammy Murphy who has what it takes to stand up and fight for our residents, and Hudson County will do whatever it takes to make sure that she and our entire team are victorious in June.”