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Schundler Ends 75 Years of "Hague-ism" In Jersey City
originally appeared in the New Jersey Times
on October 14, 1993.
JERSEY CITY, NJ
A Republican, damn the
word say some ardent
Democrats, was elected Mayor
of the State's second largest city
on that date, a day other stalwart
Democrats term a second
"black" Tuesday. The
Republican, Bret Schundler, who
was involved in the presidential
campaign of Democrat Gary
Hart, was overwhelmingly elected Mayor of an aging urban
community once ruled by the
likes of the late Frank "I am the
Law" Hague, one of the nation's
most powerful politicians. John
V. Kenny, a former strong supporter of Hague's thirty year
reign, the "Little Guy" as Kenny
was more affectionately known,
later became Mayor Hague's
nemesis and the spearhead Hague regime from office in an
electrifying election in May 1949. No
Jersey City Mayor from 1945 to
today, has succeeded himself after a
full four year term in office since
Frank Hague, who served as the
City's chief executive for over 25
years.
That's all history now. And
on July 1, more history was written.
A new era in government and, politics
moved center stage. Bret Schundler,
whose opponents in two elections
accused him of being a carpetbagger
and newcomer to Jersey city
(Schundler' has lived in Jersey City
for about eight years), took the oath
of Office of Mayor of Jersey City for
his first full four year term, climaxing
eight months of interim Mayor, a
period marked by harsh criticisms
from members of the City Council (all
Democrats) and the Hudson County
Democratic leadership that he was
naive and didn't know how to govern.
Before becoming interim Mayor,
Schundler had beaten out a field of 18
other candidates, almost all of them
Democrats and so-called
Independents, but with Democratic
leanings.
A successful Wall Street
investment counselor before turning to
politics, the handsome young Mayor,
he's 34 years old, is the son of
immigrant parents. Harvard educated,
Schundler is energetic, bright,
articulate and a hit with the residents
of Jersey City, most especially Senior
Citizens, many of whom welcome his
youthfulness, seeing it as a sign of
better things to come for their hometown.
Schundler assumed the
reigns of power along with nine City
council members, all Democrats,
who were swept, into office on the
Mayor's coattails. Only one of the
nine, Downtown Councilman. Jamie
'Vasquez, was an incumbent, having
served two four-year terms before
Joining Schundler's ticket in the recent
municipal election.
Schundler says his victory
signaled a new period in local
government, with party, labels playing
less of a role in elections, especially in
Jersey City which operates under a
nonpartisan form of government, and
which had long been ruled by the
"good old boys" and "politics as usual"
syndrome, almost exclusively by
Democrats. Garnering over 68
percent of the votes cast, a precedent
never before achieved in the state's
second largest municipality, Schundler
feels he has a mandate from the people of Jersey City.
The tireless Mayor says
more attention needs to be focused on
urban America, and he intends to
press that issue more forcibly in
both Democratic and Republican
circles. The, Mayor has discussed his
urban agenda, which he feels has
national implications, with the leaders
of both, parties in Trenton and on
Capitol Hill.
These politicians and
public office holder s have been
discussing the changing scene in
Jersey City with Schundler who
many now call the new urban
powerbroker. The Mayor knows
if they need his new found political
strength and base of power -- a
coalition of young, well educated
and dedicated men and women
interested in reviving urban centers and their inner cities, fused,
with the sagacity counsel and
advice of older and more experienced
politicos and former office holders, a
number of whom, had
similar dreams as the new mayor
but lacked broad based support
for their ideas and their desires, to
effectuate positive change.
Mayor Schundler has talked and
listened to the leaders of both
parties, and has told all of them the same thing, "Help Jersey. City
grow and prosper, and we'll
consider supporting your
efforts." He makes no promises.
When asked Whether, he's
a member of the Republican or
Democratic Party, the Mayor
retorts, "I'm a member of the Jersey
City Party." And that's just what
he is -- a, magnetic and charismatic
young man completely committed
to bettering the quality of life for all
the citizens of Jersey City. When
further pressed about future
political ambitions, Mayor
Schundler turns serious and says
his only ambition now is to make
Jersey City America's most livable
city. According to local pundits,
Schundler's the odds on, favorite to
make that happen.
At his inauguration, a
wide array of politicians from both
political parties were in attendance.
From Governor Jim Florio and his
Republican opponent in the
upcoming gubernatorial election,
Christine Todd Whitman, to U.S.
Senators Frank Lautenberg and Bill
Bradley, other members of the New
Jersey Congressional delegation, State
Senators, members of the Assembly,
and former U.S. Senator and U.S.
Secretary of Housing Jack Kemp,
who was the featured speaker at the
swearing-in ceremony.
Thousands of political
supporters, friends, relatives and local
residents also attended the festive
inaugural ceremonies, usher in a new
milestone for Jersey City, hopefully,
unfettered by the ghosts of
Democratic Mayors of the past 75
years.
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