By Marie Pfeifer
The Morris County Democratic Committee tapped a couple of rising stars from beyond its borders for its Mayors Gala fundraiser Wednesday at the Hyatt Morristown.
“This is a tough County for Democrats, but we’re working to change that,” said guest speaker Steven Fulop, the mayor of Jersey City and a name often mentioned as a future gubernatorial candidate.
“It is awesome to be a Democrat!” proclaimed Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, stressing themes of education and equal access to the American Dream.
Morrristown Mayor Tim Dougherty hailed Fulop and Baraka as the future of New Jersey’s Democratic party. “They are models of what great leaders should be,” he said. “We have strength in numbers we don’t yet realize. We need progressive leaders.”
The function attracted about 150 people, who paid $125 for a private cocktail hour and $250 if they stayed for dinner.
Slideshow photos by Bill Lescohier. Please click icon below for captions.
Dougherty praised Fulop for twice challenging the “Hudson County Political Machine” — once as a successful council candidate and again when he won the 2013 mayoral race.
The grandson of a Holocaust survivor, Fulop put his career at Goldman Sachs on hold after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center to join the Marines. Fulop has worked to improve public safety in Jersey City.
Baraka also has focused on reducing crime in Newark, creating a Civilian Complaint Board and introducing a youth government program to hire 3,000 Newark young people. He coordinated with NJIT and Rutgers University to put leadership programs in place, in a bid to break patterns of youth violence.
Newark and Jersey City both provide prisoner reentry employment and training programs, meant to reduce recidivism by providing job opportunities for released prisoners.
Dover Mayor James Dodd, Madison Mayor Robert Conley and East Hanover Mayor Joseph Pannullo expressed support for affordable housing, jobs programs, small businesses and programs to help homeless veterans.
Taking a poke at Governor Chris Christie, Morris County Democratic Chairman Chip Robinson said New Jersey mayors are filling the gap while the governor is away campaigning for president.
“We are moving forward to elect more Democratic Mayors,” Robinson said.
Fulop declined to comment when asked if he aspires to the governor’s seat.
Pannullo has served as mayor for eight years in East Hanover, where he said registered Republicans outnumber Democrats by a 3-1 margin. His formula, he said, is “looking people in the eye” and governing from the heart.
Attendees on Wednesday included Morristown Councilmembers Michelle Dupree Harris and Toshiba Foster; Dover Alderrman James Visioli; Roxbury Councilman Dan Kline and former East Hanover Mayor George Hanley.
Guests also included Paul Bontempo, former Democratic National Committeeman; Lewis J. Candura, former Morris Democratic chairman; Lizette Delgado-Polanco, vice chair of the state Democratic Committee, and Jennifer Holdsworth, political director of the state Democratic Committee;
