Hoboken Council Members Mason, Russo Eyeing Assembly Run, Report Says

When Councilwoman Beth Mason appeared alongside State Senator Brian Stack and Governor Chris Christie at an event in Union City on Thursday morning, she was there to celebrate the opening of the Colin Powell Elementary School.

But, almost immediately, it turned into a quasi campaigning event. 

According to PolitickerNJ, Mason is looking to run for the 33rd Assembly seat come November.

Mason, who currently serves as Second Ward Councilwoman, ran for mayor twice in 2009.

Mason would be running to fill one of the two assembly seats in the 33rd district, one of which is held by Ruben Ramos Jr. PolitickerNJ speculated that Ramos will be vacating his seat for a mayoral run.

The other seat is being vacated by Sean Connors, who reportedly is running for counil on Steve Fulop's ticket in Jersey City. Connors served one term as assemblyman.

Mayor Dawn Zimmer is up for reelection in November. No one has formally announced a challenge yet.

Alex Habib, Ramos' chief of staff, said in a statement sent to Patch on Wednesday night that if the assemblyman runs for mayor, "it will be an open and honest conversation on how the community can come together for a better, more vibrant Hoboken."

Habib neither confirmed nor denied any speculations.

"There's always speculation in Hudson County," Habib said. 

According to Thursday's Politicker story, Mason is "cozying up to Stack in hopes of landing an Assembly seat on Stack's 2013 legislative ticket."

Mason could not be reached for comment.

The story also mentions Third Ward Councilman Michael Russo, a political ally of Mason, as interested in the open seat. 

In a phone interview on Thursday afternoon, Russo was coy about the option.

"It's something I have always been interested in," Russo said. "Everybody knows my plans in politics do not end at being a council person."

"It's still up in the air," Russo said. But, "it's definitely a thought in my mind."

If either Russo or Mason run — and win — an assembly seat, their council seats would have to be filled by appointment after the November elections.

A previous PolitickerNJ article mentioned Councilman-at-Large Ravi Bhalla as a potential candidate for one of the open seats. Bhalla, an ally of Zimmer, ran for the assembly in 2011, but lost in the primaries.

Right now, it's still up in the air who will be running in November to fill the positions in the 33rd district.

According to Politicker, Stack is looking to choose one candidate from Hoboken and one from Jersey City.