"It can't be! It can't be!" (Giattino on speaker phone re: 6-1 election result)

"It can be! It can be!" (6-1)

Oh, yeah. 

Hoboken Democratic Committee election winners won't be called until all VBMs and provisionals are counted, which should happen by Friday.   

Still, a couple of decisive machine victories can be called now. For example, in 6-1 Margaret K Clarkson gave opponent Cheryl Fallick a thumpin'.

Ordinarily, Hoboken's Democratic Committee races are uncontroversial, even dull. However, this election cycle gets a whole lot more interesting when you know about the behind-the-scenes shenanigans which can be summed up as "the battle over the line."  

BATTLE OVER THE LINE 

What is "the line?"  It's Column A on your ballot; it's Hudson County Democratic Organization's (HCDO) slate of candidates.  Being on Column A in Democratic Hudson County basically assures victory;  running "off the line" is an uphill battle for any candidate.    

In Hoboken, Mayor Bhalla is the leader of Hoboken's Democratic party, meaning he generally gets deference from the County on his choice of candidates.  However, from the start of Bhalla's mayoral term, factional fault lines on the Hoboken City Council have split Hoboken's Democratic Committee.  Last year's Hoboken Dem Committee Chairwoman (and Bhalla critic) Tiffanie Fisher, was ousted by an overwhelming majority of committee members.  Her key role in the mayoral campaign Republican candidate Jen Giattino  was  a clear violation of the Dem Committee Bylaws, and one reason she got the boot. 

Clearly, bitter feelings remain, with payback to follow.   

PAYBACK: MAYOR'S CANDIDATES GET BOOTED OFF "THE LINE"

This part of the story is based upon multiple sourcing  of persons with knowledge of what transpired. So...

After the mayor had assembled his "Column A" Democratic Committee slate,  Fisher and her council allies booted about 18 Bhalla- committee candidates off the HCDO line, replacing them with friends and political allies.

Like Cheryl Fallick.  Incumbent Committeewoman Margaret Clarkson, who was running for re-election with her husband,  Reform stalwart Jim Castiglione, got kicked off the line, replaced by Fallick.

Fisher put herself on the ballot, booting off whomever was there.

And the same cabal kicked the Mayor's brother off the line, and replacing him with Kurt Gardiner, of all people--making him Bindya's (the mayor's wife) running-mate!   

When folks at the County found out that Fisher, et. al. had kicked off the mayor's brother they were horrified.  The County immediately reinstated Amar, and threw Fisher off.   In deference to Mayor Bhalla, the County restored all but four members of the mayor's original slate. 

Alas, Cheryl Fallick was left on the ballot, incumbent Margaret Clarkson left out in the cold. 

FISHER TRIED TO RECRUIT DOOR-KNOCKERS FOR PATTY WAITERS (2-3)

Multiple sources confirm that Tiffanie Fisher approached a former Hoboken City Council candidate and asked that person to knock on doors for Pat Waiters against Fisher's 2nd Ward Council opponent Nora DiBenedetto,  the 2-3 incumbent commiteewoman.

The person whom Fisher approached responded, "no." 

GA is not naming this person until he/she permits me to do so.  But take it to the bank.  Machine results in that race are:

48 votes: Nora DiBenedetto

16 votes: Patty Waiters

"IT CAN'T BE! IT CAN'T BE!" (6-1)

Last night, GA received a flurry of messages from multiple sources who'd heard Jen Giattino "screaming" in disbelief on the City Clerk's speaker phone, when she was told of Fallick's defeat in 6-1.  

Fallick's crushing defeat is an ominous sign that Giattino could not deliver for her most staunch ally in her own ward. This result shows that Giattino's ward remains a Bhalla stronghold.  Booting a longtime, respected Committeewoman off the line was not appreciated by her 6th Ward constituents. They voted. 

Another ominous sign for another incumbent: huge turnout in Marine View Plaza (1-2) for uncontested Democratic Committee incumbents Eileen Carvalho (98 machine votes) and Martin Anderson (90 machine votes).  

However, the First Ward Councilman did deliver for his off-line candidate Elaine DePinto, who won a resounding victory in her race against Column A's Joan Anastasio.  Note: DeFusco didn't lift a finger to help anyone outside of his own ward.  Had he helped GOTV for his 6th Ward council colleague Giattino,  Fallick may have prevailed. But, the First Ward Councilman only looked out for himself.  

MELLO VS. PINCHEVSKY (4-2)

Remember way back when Rami Pinchevsky and Dave Mello were on  the same team?  They were opponents in this year's committee race.

GA can report that in the Mello vs. Pinchevsky match-up, the Mellos got their clocks cleaned.  On the machines:

 44 votes: Miriam Pinchevsky

16 votes: Stacey Mello

41 votes: Rami Pinchevsky

18 votes; David Mello

To repeat: vote totals reported here are not final, and subject to change when absentee and provisional ballots are counted.  I will publish final results.

Finally, GA congratulates all candidates, winners and losers. Three cheers for a unified Democratic Committee.