Prominent Hudson Dems among Fulop’s early financial backers

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s bid for governor is attracting financial support from a number of prominent Hudson County Democrats, with donations from several state legislators and county commissioners listed in reports released yesterday by the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).

According to ELEC’s database, two state assemblymembers who are likely headed to the State Senate next year – Angela McKnight (D-Jersey City) and Raj Mukherji (D-Jersey City) – wrote Fulop checks for $4,900, the maximum amount currently allowed for primary contributions.

So too did Barbara McCann Stamato, Jessica Ramirez, and John Allen, three candidates for open Assembly seats; McCann Stamato and Ramirez are from Jersey City, while Allen is from Hoboken. And Hudson County Commissioners Kenneth Kopacz (D-Bayonne), Bill O’Dea (D-Jersey City), and Yraida Aponte-Lipski (D-Jersey City) all gave Fulop $4,900 checks as well.

Fulop himself hasn’t had to file any campaign finance reports yet, since he joined the gubernatorial race after the most recent filing deadline. That means there’s no way to tell yet how much money he’s raised overall from all sources.

But because candidates for offices that are up for election this year – which includes every state legislative seat and every seat on the Hudson County Board of Commissioners – had to file 29-day pre-primary reports with ELEC that included their expenditures, it’s possible to see who among that group has donated to Fulop.