NORTH ARLINGTON CANDIDATE COMMITTEES RAISE COLLECTIVELY $308,156 SINCE 2010! DEMOCRATS WON THREE ELECTIONS, REPUBLICANS FOUR AND ONE WAS A SPLIT TICKET!
South Bergen Community remains one of the Most Competitive Political Communities in all of North Jersey
If you want to figure out who is going to win an election, North Arlington continues to be a bellwether community that switches back and forth between Democrats and Republicans.
In an analysis of campaign dollars raised by North Arlington Candidate Committees for fall elections according to the New Jersey Law Enforcement Commission (NJ ELEC); both parties collectively raised $308,156 from 2010-2017.
This amount does not include Political Action Committees or partisan local organizations such as the North Arlington Republican Club, Municipal Committee or Democratic Club.
In those eight municipal elections, Republicans won four times, Democrats three times and one election was a split in 2010 when voters reelected Peter Massa mayor and GOP council members Joe Bianchi and Richard Hughes.
NA Republicans raised $177,298.10 for an average of $22,162.62 per fall cycle:
· 2010 – $37,033.30 (Won 2 Council Seats, Lost Mayor)
· 2011 – $37,675.62 (Lost 2 Council Seats)
· 2012 – $11,600.00 (Lost 2 Council Seats)
· 2013 – $8.100.00 (Won 3 Council Seats)
· 2014 – $21,450.00 (Won 2 Council Seats, Won Mayor)
· 2015 – $24,003.61 (Won 3 Council Seats)
· 2016 – $15,350.00 (Lost 2 Council Seats)
· 2017 – $22,085.57 (Won 2 Council Seats)
· TOTAL: $177,298.10
NA Democrats raised $130,858 for an average of $16,357.25 per fall cycle:
· 2010 – $21,915 (Lost 2 Council Seats, Won Mayor)
· 2011 – $12,964 (Won 2 Council Seats)
· 2012 – $0* (Won 2 Council Seats)
· 2013 – $31,829 (Lost 3 Council Seats)
· 2014 – $28,450 (Lost 2 Council Seats and Mayor)
· 2015 – $4,500 (Lost 3 Council Seats)
· 2016 – $12,000 (Won 2 Council Seats)
· 2017 – $19,200 (Lost 2 Council Seats)
· TOTAL: $130,858
As of this writing, neither political party candidate committees have filed any financial reports regarding contributions or expenditures. The two independent candidates for mayor have not posted any contributors or expenditures as well.
The first filing will be in early October when a 23-day Report will be due for submission to ELEC.
Traditionally, municipal appointees such as the attorney, prosecutor or engineer are the primary and most consistent donors as well as developers and other real estate concerns or elected officials from the county, state and federal levels are probable contributors too.
“Campaigns can be expensive. In communities where Democrats & Republicans populate the Mayor and Council there is a need to raise more money than usual to get their message to the voters. Much of the money raised locally is via small donations of less than $300,” offered one local political operative when asked to comment.
“When one considers the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on county campaigns or the millions spent on legislative and federal races, the expenditures at the local level for communities the size of North Arlington is nominal.”
The most obvious of expenditures is lawn signs, brochures, direct mail, website maintenance and fundraising efforts as well as street workers and other get out the vote efforts (GOTV) such as polling or phone canvassing.
Democrats in 2012 raised most of their campaigns funds through another committee which then transferred those dollars to the candidate committee.
Local campaigns require a targeted effort in a finite election unit that is no more than ten or so election districts. Both parties for the most part have similar strategies. Some may use a political consultant that is paid for media purposes or they members of their party that can fulfill the writing of campaign fliers, press releases and other messaging needs.