Now that I have seen the unofficial results of the election as reported on line from the City Clerk's office I have a better understanding of the election results. Thank you AJ for over night making the record public.
I had attributed Taylor's defeat to a poor turnout in the 2nd and 3rd Wards. I was way off base; there were only 1614 votes cast in Wards 1 and 4.whereas Wards 2 and 3 had a total of 2 707. or more than a 1000 voters than in the solid party line wards.
Taylor did carry the 2nd Ward but by only 43 votes; 660 to 617. The big surprise for me was the 3rd Ward in which Rev. Brown received an overwhelming majority of 222 votes; 776 vs 554. I had considered the possibility that she would carry that ward but if so only by a slight majority. The results in these two wards truly surprised me. I can only attribute it to disenchantment with the New Democrats who seem to have placed political expediency over so called objectiveness. This was manifested by Burney last year and Mapp this year running on the Party line.
Since Mapp also defeated Haqq by the same 776 to 525 it seems obvious that 3rd Ward voters voted strictly by Party Line.
There were 4226 votes cast in the At Large Race and only 4109 for Obama. That at least indicates that this election was important to local voters.
This is not the first time a candidate that I felt deserved to be elected has been defeated, The world had not ended then and will not now. My concern is that the Mayor will take the results as a referendum approving her fiscal policies. She may be right.
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We need to thank Jerry Green for Sharon and now Tracy. People don't think about who they are voting for and just vote the party line. Plainfield is in deep trouble because of politicians who are only looking for their gain and not the people of Plainfield. Brown lied and put forth a deceptive flyer, so I don't see her as a trustworthy person. I'm glad she's not my minister, as I would be greatly disappointed in her behavior. Plainfield is the loser. When it comes to ideas to help Plainfield, Brown is a dullard and will simply give in to Green and Robinson-Briggs. Perhaps the devil won this one and not God. Rev. Brown needs to remember that she is Rev. in her church, but she's only Tracy Brown in the City Council. We will be watching her closely and I hope she gets some morals, since I didn't see a lot of it in the campaign.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Gloria Henriques, and I want you to know I am running as an independent for the Plainfield City Council at large seat currently held by a woman I admire and hope to emulate, Annie McWilliams.
ReplyDeleteYou will learn more about me and my plans for the City as the days draw closer to November. However, I do want you to know that I filed my petitions to run for office, petitions circulated by and signed by Democrats, Independents and Republicans, before the polls opened on Tuesday. When I filed I was not running against Bill Amirault, the Rev. Tracey Brown or Roni Taylor.
I am running for the City of Plainfield, and all 50,000 proud residents.
I may have met you through the Democratic City Committee, through volunteer service with Netherwood Heights Neighbors or at the recent FOSH city council debate. It was listening carefully that evening which convinced me to run.
You will hear more from me soon.
Gloria Henriques
Henriques for Plainfield
Well... I for one cannot wait to see what the Mayor does. There's gonna be some payback coming... Mapp and Storch are going to be spanked quite often in public - NICE !
ReplyDelete( remember boys ... take your schooling with a grain of salt..It's all about Obama )
If Gloria is now an Independent, I assume this means that Jerry now appoints another person for her seat. Can she still be a Democratic City Committee member and run as a canditate in the Independent Party?
ReplyDelete12:18 Good question. I would presume that she would have to ethically resign her seat. However the Local Committee has unique rules including allowing Jerry to be Chairman when he had lost his election to the committee.
ReplyDeleteMy bet is Jerry will chomp at the bit to put in someone of his choosing - especially that person being from the Netherwood area.
ReplyDeleteI don't know nor have ever heard of Gloria Henriques but she already has my vote because there is just no way I could ever vote, for someone like Tracy Brown. I didn't yesterday and I won't in November.
ReplyDeleteDoc: as one of Plainfield's all-too-few loud & proud Republicans, I find your use of the word ethical(-ly) in connection with what happens all too often with Plainfield's Dems, who enjoyed a 15-to-1 voting advantage four years ago, and think that "photo-shopping" President Obama into an image of a minister in her Plainfield pulpit is OK, pretty funny. But, then again, maybe those voters who pulled the reverend's lever yesterday were carrying that photo, literally or in their hearts. Nothing should surprise us in Oz.
ReplyDeleteAt 3:30pm I receive this today, our election material has a wide distribution.
ReplyDeletejackie from bergen county has left a new comment on your post "THE PULPIT DOES NOT BELONG IN GOVERNMENT":
I was just shown the flyer sent out by Tracy Brown. As someone who knows both of the reverends standing on the left of the microphone. I can't believe they signed on and approved of this out and out deception and list of lies and I am certainly going to let them know.
This election proved that the people of Plainfield are Clueless. I will be voting Republican come the November election. The people of Plainfield need to stop being loyal to people that do not care about them. The "Slave Mentality" is alive and well in the City of Plainfield.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, the only people that voted during this primary were the senior citizens and former drug addicts (Look at Newark during the Sharp James era). Aren't the people of Plainfield tired of the failing schools and poor representation from City Hall. I just wish for once the citizens of Plainfield STOP being gullible and, go against the grain for once. The City of Plainfield has the potential to become a thriving city with the right leadership. The change we all hoped for, disappeared quickly.
Skeet
There is still hope for Plainfield if Gloria Henriques is running as an Independent in November.
ReplyDeleteTracy Brown cannot be allowed to make it to the Council, it's a disaster waiting to happen for every ward of this city.
She's hell bent (pun intended) on making Plainfield one big welfare state, sucking the life out of honest hard working tax payers across the city in order to fund her social programs which only perpetuate more poverty and a vicious cycle of dependency.
Meanwhile back at her TAX EXEMPT house of worship the Rev's congregation generates so much money that she gets paid out a hefty salary -- or at least enough to strut around town in a Mercedes as she makes her way back home to the 2nd Ward, while many of her congregants slum it out on the other side of town; let's not forget all the perks she gets for sitting on the PMUA. Preaching to the poor, living like a Queen (reaks of small time socialism) an infamous revolutionary and a stinky cigar come to mind.
Wake up loyal constituents from the 1st and 4th wards, you're being tricked into providing Ms. Brown with a very nice lifestyle, and the mayor and the Green goblin, for that matter.
The Rev, the mayor and the Green machine don't think you can do any better. They need to keep 1st and 4th ward folk in place and under control, because if they lose you, they lose all their power. They don't want you doing better, because if you do then you'll realize what a bunch of bunk they've been feeding you all along.
Wake up you silly rabbits, tricks are for kids!
Well folks guess some of you will have to find some real issues now, there are plenty to be had, because the photo is real. It was taken when Obama was campaigning.
ReplyDeleteWould have told you sooner but I was enjoying the circus to much. Guess Pat is not the Wizard in Oz.
Observer from another town.
To Anonymous 12.18
ReplyDeleteGloria Henriques was elected to the Democratic City Committee by a large margin in her District, the 2/8. She defeated two opposing candidates; one sponsored by the Regular Union County Democrats and one sponsored by the New Democrats of Plainfield. She ran on the line "Plainfield Independent Democrats".
The Regular Union County Democrats have a super majority on the Committee. The balance of power would not change by removing one member. During the last election of Committee members (this time last year) Chairman Green acquired more seats for his party even with the two Independents. The New Dems lost seats with their slate.
Gloria has stated to me that she plans to keep her seat on the Committee. As she stated in her press release, she decided to run for the at-large seat after she volunteered at the Candidates debate and before she knew who would oppose her, (as the election rules require).
I don't know what the by-laws of the Committee are but I would think it could be messy by removing Ms. Henriques - and if she was to be removed from the Committee I would imagine that she would regain the seat with much fanfare by running for it in next year's primary.
Jim Spear
To Jim Spear, the question is can she remain as a Democratic City Committee person since she is now part of the Independent party?
ReplyDeleteShe may have run on the Plainfield Independent Democratic line, but she was still a Democrat. She was elected in the Democratic Primary, on the Democratic line, with Democrats only voting for her, and attends the DEMOCRATIC City Committee meetings.
She is now an Independent. How can she be a member of the Democratic City Committee and be an member of the Independent party?
Not sure what you were talking about in the beginning of your comment - being elected by a wide majority etc. The question remains how can a member of the Independent Party be a representative of the Democratic party if she not a member of the Democratic party?
There is nothing messay about removing her. She has already removed herself by becoming an Independent. All that has to happen is Jerry appoints someone to her seat - and as you have stated, he has the majority. I am sure it is done all the time. And as far as winning the seat again, she would have to either redeclare as a Democrat and run against others in the Democratic primary or run as an Independent.
10:50 AM,;12:15 PM 6/6, There is no such animal as an INDEPENDENT PARTY. Some one who is running as an Independent is running without any party support. That does not mean that the person can not have a party affiliation that binds him until death do us part. AS a Democrat I can vote for a Republican or Socialist candidate in the General election. Committee members also have the right of free expression.
ReplyDeleteOf cours Jerry can expel her.
Hi Doc, In defense of 10:50am, there is the Independent party of America and the American Independent Party. NY has an Independence and Oregon has an Independent party. Not sure about New Jersey.
ReplyDeleteBelow is some information regarding registering as an Independent.
How to register as an Independent -Fill out a voter registration form; In box - Choice of Party, instructions read: "If you do not want to register with a party, write "no party" or leave the box blank. Do not write in the word "independent" if you mean "no party," because this might be confused with the name of a political party in your State."
When you go to the polls on primary day in NJ, you can only vote for the party of your affiliation. If you are "Unaffiliated", you can declare yourself as a member of the party you want to vote for (Democrat of Replublican).
However, if you indicated on your voter registration that you are Independent, you cannot vote in the primary as Independent is considered a political party.
In the general election, any registered voter can vote for whoever they want regardless of affiliation.
So to your point, if she is running without any party support, she has essentially divorced herself from the Democrats. So, how can she hold a Democratic seat?
Ms. Henriques should resign the seat in order to truly be a viable alternative in November. She needs to provide greater distinction and clarity between her and Rev. Brown in order to succeed. Holding a Democratic seat while espousing to be an independent is a real oxymoron. The question remains what does Ms. Henriques offer as an Independent that the Democratic or Republican candidates do not. Perhaps a lot. But holding a Democratic seat does not bolster her case. She needs to make a clean break and distinguish herself on the issues. Doc is correct. Independent usually means not affiliated with either the Democrat or Republican parties -- it does not mean she is running as a representative of the Independent Party. If so, what Independent Party is it and what to they stand for. Ms. Henriques is an idependent running soley on her own merit and her own ideas and not affilaited with any party -- at least that is how I understand her intentions to be. I wish her luck -- she has a tough road ahead.
ReplyDelete