Over the last two weeks, Bayonne City Clerk Robert Sloan and retired Merchant Seaman Raymond Rokicki announced that they would seek to become mayor, joining already declared mayoral hopefuls Police Director Mark Smith, and retired Municipal Judge Patrick Conaghan.
Congressional Legislative Intern Yitzchak David, who declared early, announced this week that he has decided not to run after all, throwing his support behind Smith instead.
Reports suggest that the field may grow before the filing deadline of Sept. 11, with supporters urging former Bayonne Mayor Richard Rutkowski to jump in as well.
The election would be to fill the unexpired term of Mayor Joseph Doria, who resigned in Oct. 2007 to take the post as commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs.
Interim Mayor Terrence Malloy, who was voted into the position last November to serve until the special election, has not declared whether or not he will seek election.
The winner of the Nov. 4 election will serve until June 30, 2010.
The election differs from most municipal elections in Bayonne, since a candidate needs a simple majority of one vote or more to win. In normal elections, candidates must get 50 percent plus one vote of the total votes cast to win a seat, or a runoff election must be held.
Smith, Conaghan begin
Both Smith and Conaghan have opened campaign headquarters on Broadway and are expected to turn loose powerful "get out the vote" efforts. Both candidates have been knocking on doors over the summer to make their case to voters.
Smith, who currently serves as police director, is a 27-year veteran on the police force, and is a hero cop who followed in his father's footsteps.
With strong ties to the Hudson County Democratic Organization and the Bayonne Democratic Committee, Smith is seen as one of the frontrunners, although Conaghan has tried to tie him to former Mayor Doria.
However, Smith has been running a campaign emphasizing the need to correct errors of the past and to move ahead in an effort to improve the city's economic woes.
Smith has a strong following of young political people, many of whom worked on the campaign of Freeholder Doreen DiDomenico and see themselves as part of a new generation of politics in Bayonne.
Conaghan is seen as Smith's chief challenger.
Conaghan lost his bid against Doria in a 2006 runoff election by only 4 percent of the total votes cast, and his 2008 campaign is telling the public that time has proved him right about his fears about Doria.
A retired municipal judge, Conaghan also served on the board of directors for two banks and is promoting fiscal responsibility, especially in regards to the development of the former Military Ocean Terminal.
Robert Sloan, the most recently announced candidate for mayor, has nearly as much name recognition as Smith and Conaghan. A familiar face on TV broadcasts of City Council meetings, Sloan has served as city clerk for 33 years. Scheduled to be interviewed by the Bayonne Community News shortly, Sloan said one theme of his campaign will be to support the blue-collar workers and taxpayers of the city of Bayonne.
"This has historically been a blue collar city," he said. "I don't want these people forgotten."
Aware of many of the city's most pressing issues, Sloan said curing the fiscal problems from mistaken past decisions will take time.
Like Smith, Sloan would take a leave of absence from his city job if elected mayor.
Political newcomers
Two relatively political unknowns - who have not yet responded to requests for interviews - have declared their intentions to run for mayor.
In withdrawing from the race this week, David cited a family death, his recent marriage and graduate work as the reasons for his withdrawal.
David, 24, a recent graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in political science, said on his website that "deciding to run for mayor of Bayonne was not an easy decision."
Although the 24-year-old has not previously run for public office, he has served as a congressional intern to Democratic Rep. Tom Allen (Maine) and has lobbied in Trenton on behalf of issues while attending college. He currently manages patient portfolios at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
In his Web site statements, David said he is concerned about the development of MOTBY and some of the consequences involved with the city's use of funds to balance the municipal budget.
"Fiscal responsibility must be the concern of every official in Bayonne," he said.
David, however, did not rule out a future run for political office.
Even some supporters of his opponents have described Rokicki, a member of the city's Zoning Board of Adjustment, as "a good man." Although he has not yet responded to requests for an interview, Rokicki has released an outline of his issues.
The lifelong resident of Bayonne said in a statement released on the Internet that he is running to improve the quality of life for residents of Bayonne. This means wiser development of the MOTBY, but also changes in the way various departments operate. Running a campaign entitled "Revolution not Change," Rokicki hopes to generate interest among the young and get them involved in the government.
"What I can offer the citizens of Bayonne is that I can improve quality of life and break the back of the crippling burden of property taxes that we have been asked to endure with no end in site," he said in his release.
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