David Pringle’s endorsement of Colleen Mahr for Union County Democratic Chairman is entirely insignificant because the state environmental organization he ran never really participated at the establishment level. His members were never encouraged to seek county committee seats in their home districts in the same way labor unions did. His endorsement could hurt Mahr, considering the lingering resentment among Democrats over his endorsement of Chris Christie in the 2009 gubernatorial election. Democrats who endorsed Christie’s re-election get a pass, but those who backed him against Jon Corzine do not. Maybe Pringle thinks he can attach his star to Mahr, but then he’s underestimating the alliance she has with State Sen. Joe Cryan; Cryan was a solid Corzine backer who probably hasn’t forgiven Pringle for picking Christie.
The only real news out of the Pringle endorsement is that his campaign is being run by Democratic consultant Pat Politano, who is no stranger to controversy in Union County politics. He faced criticism two years ago when his firm received a no-bid contract to do pubic relations for the Elizabeth Board of Education. At the time, he was part of Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage’s team. Bollwage is supporting Nicholas Scutari for County Chairman — a constant reminder of the speed by which political alliances change.