The New Face of the Party

After two years as committeeman, Councilman-at-Large Ravinder Bhalla was chosen to be the new chairman of the Hoboken Democratic Commitee during a reorganization meeting at Room84 two weeks ago. Bhalla is the committeeperson for the third district, in the second ward. 

"I want to activate committee people," said Bhalla in a phone interview last week. Bhalla succeeds Assemblyman Ruben Ramos Jr. as chairman. 

Bhalla ran on the Hudson County Democratic Organization's line. Mayor Dawn Zimmer was chosen to be the honorary chair of the committee, a symbolic gesture. The mayor, as the official leader of the Democrats in Hoboken, has the authority to invite people to run "on the line." 

Bayonne Mayor Mark Smith was elected to be the HCDO chairman, succeeding Jersey City Mayor Jerramaiah Healy. 

Although Zimmer is a Democrat (and voted for Jon Corzine in the Gubernatorial elections), she is supporting Gov. Chris Christie's 2.5 percent cap bill.

In an interview with Patch in February, Bhalla said about the Democratic committee, "Our function is to act as local representatives of the immediate neighborhood ... in reality, committee people don't do anything."

He said that as chairman he wants to change that attitude. 

Other than the "Column B" candidates—those on the HCDO/Mayor's line—a group that called themselves "Real Democrats of Hoboken" ran a campaign to win the majority of the committee. 

For the first time in the committee's history, Bhalla said, the mayor's slate got more than 30 seats. (They got 41, Bhalla said). "It's a huge turn around," Bhalla said. 

Council president Peter Cunningham was also elected to be a committee man. On the day of the elections on June 8, he sent out a letter, which stated, "the standard bearers of corrupt Hoboken politics are trying to mount a "write in" campaign against our democratic colleagues in Column B." Cunningham apologized for that letter during a recent council meeting.

Bhalla said he couldn't take a specific position on Cunningham's e-mail. But, he said, there is a history of corrupt Hoboken politics. "It's unfortunate," Bhalla said. 

As far as future plans are concerned, Bhalla said that the committee will work towards  a Democratic victory in the November elections. Bhalla also said that, because there are so many non-partisan issues facing Hoboken, he wants to reach across the aisle and work with Republicans.

"I want community people to be neighborhood leaders," Bhalla said.