Bloomfield's New Political Landscape

Yesterday's primaries resulted in one upset that may well signal changes in store for 2013. The mayor lost his county committee seat 45 to 34 to newcomer Michael Cantalupo in the Democrat's Ward 2. County committee members elect the municipal and county chairs, and are also responsible for getting voters to the polls in their respective districts. This inspired an anonymous pundit with the monicker "Bloomfield Politics" to post the following analysis on the NJ/Bloomfield Forum:

Democratic Chairman Peter Strumolo has decided to abandon the man he has supported for over thirteen years and the same person he has told Bloomfield residents would make a great mayor. Strumolo is leading the charge against the man he spent $140,000.00 to get elected in 2010, Mayor Ray McCarthy. According to the rumors in Town Hall Strumolo is pushing strong for one of the sitting councilman to take on the Mayor in 2013. The problem is that if he makes that move he will be fighting a war with Both the Mayor and Republican Chairman Lou Linares who brought the Republican party within 193 votes of beating the Democrats in 2010 when over 11,000 people voted. Linares spent $36,000.00 to Strumolo’s $140,000.00, and almost won, despite having a less then exciting candidate. Strumolo is still according to rumors getting heat from the County party for almost losing in a town that is two to one Democrat. In addition the mayor who is a proven fighter and refuses to ever go down without an all-out fight is preparing to take the Democratic Chairman on in 2013 with or without the party line . Behind all of this craziness is, according to one town hall insider Michael Venezia the Unions personal representative on the council, The very Pro-Union at any cost Venezia is said to be wanting the mayor’s job since he first became councilman. Venezia is waiting for the union bosses to decide what to do. Strumolo is in a interesting position. His only hope is that Linares and the Mayor don’t become temporary friends to fight a common enemy. If this happens Bloomfield will be in the thick of it again 2013 as it was in 2010.

(At right, 225 Belleville Ave site fur Oakes Pond Development.