Nicholas Scutari is the new Union County Democratic Chairman. He defeated Collen Mahr by a 412 to 341 vote in a special election tonight to fill the unexpired term of Jerry Green.
Mahr, the Mayor of Fanwood, became acting county chair following Green’s resignation. She will now return to the vice chairmanship. She had the support of State Sen. Joe Cryan, who is feuding with Scutari.
Scutari, a five-term State Senator from Linden and the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, entered the race within minutes of Green’s resignation. He assembled a coalition of Democrats from Elizabeth, Plainfield, Rahway and Linden. With a majority of the Union County Freeholders supporting his candidacy, the win puts Scutari squarely in charge of a Democratic organization that has not lost a countywide race 1994.
Green resigned last month due to health reasons. Scutari will serve until the next county chairman election in June 2019.
The election of Scutari potentially impacts the ability of Linda Weber to win the Union County organization line for Congress in the 7th district. The Mahr/Cryan faction of the party has been backing Weber. While Scutari has not taken sides, supporters of Tom Malinowski were hoping for a Mahr defeat.
It’s sweet that he pushed so hard for an open process here right after getting the unqualified Chief of Staff Oatman the county manager job by ensuring the Freeholders disregarded the formal hiring process. Once a thug, Nick, always a thug. I’m ashamed to be a Democrat in this county. Next up in the year of the woman: carpetbagger Malinowski over Weber.