Hamilton Dems looking toward Dan Smith to fill Martin’s seat
HAMILTON >> A labor leader with deep Democratic connections could become the newest Hamilton councilman in a few weeks.
Township resident Daniel A. Smith is being floated around as a possible successor to outgoing Councilman Jeff Martin, who won the 2019 mayoral election last month.
Martin becomes mayor on Jan. 1, 2020, and must resign from Hamilton Council before then. In a recent interview with The Trentonian, the Democratic mayorelect spoke highly of Smith, describing him as “an intelligent, qualified young man.”
When Martin’s council seat becomes vacant, the Hamilton Democratic Municipal Committee must nominate three candidates within 15 days and present those names to Hamilton Council for consideration.
Then Hamilton Council, as the township’s governing body, must appoint one of those nominees as the successor to fill the vacancy.
The incoming, all-Democratic town council comprising Anthony Carabelli Jr., Rick Tighe, Pat Papero and Nancy Phillips is expected to make the big appointment next month. “I have no doubt that Anthony, Rick, Pat, and Nancy will pick the right person,” Martin said last month in an editorial board meeting.
Michael Maloney, business manager of Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 9 and a member of Martin’s transition team, said Smith is the “right choice” for the appointment, adding: “He has 100 percent my support and all of labor behind him.”
Smith is a Mercer County Improvement Authority board member and serves as fourth vice chairperson of the Mercer County Democratic Committee. He also works for New Jersey General Assembly Speaker Craig J. Coughlin as a senior advisor and has strong labor credentials.
Smith previously worked as a staff representative to CWA Local 1036 and has prior experience working as a legislative aide to Democratic Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo of Hamilton and as an assistant to former Hamilton Democratic Mayor Glen Gilmore, according to his résumé.
When Martin launched his 2019 mayoral campaign in January, Smith delivered a floor speech talking highly of the Democratic council president who eventually defeated Republican Mayor Kelly Yaede in the Nov. 5 general election.
At the Nov. 12 editorial board meeting, The Trentonian asked Mayor-elect Martin whether the Democratic Party was pushing for Smith to become the next appointed councilperson.
“I don’t know whether there will be a push for him,” Martin said, “but Dan would certainly be somebody who is committed to Hamilton and is an intelligent, qualified young man, and so I think both the Democratic Party and the township as a whole would be well served if he decides to throw his hat in. But it’s too early to really, in my opinion, talk about that. It kind of feels like writing my own obituary a little bit.”
JoAnne Bruno, a township Democrat who previously ran unsuccessfully for Hamilton Council, says she is pushing for Smith to win the appointment.
“When I heard that Dan was being supported,” Bruno said Friday, “I thought to myself, ‘You know what, as much as I want to serve the community, I really think it is time for us to have a more diverse council, and I totally support Dan.’”
If appointed to council, Smith would bring racial diversity to the governing body as a person of color.
“I would be honored to be considered by the Hamilton Democratic Committee,” Smith said Friday when reached for comment.
Barbara Plumeri, chairwoman of the Hamilton
Democratic Municipal Committee, could not be reached for comment on this story.
Martin is not a Democratic committeeman but expects to have some influence in the vacancy appointment process.
“I hope whoever is interested in serving would give me a call to pick my brain and see what issues they may have,” Martin said, “and see whether this may be the right time for he or she to put their name in. Obviously once the three names are submitted, I will be at the hearing because should there be a tie, a 2-to-2 tie in who the council picks, the mayor is the tie-breaking vote, so I will be there. I will be listening. I will be paying attention. But I have no doubt that Anthony, Rick, Pat, and Nancy will pick the right person.”
Martin’s council seat will be deemed vacant once he files a written resignation with the municipal clerk.
A special election will be held in November 2020, and the victor of that election will serve for the remainder of Martin’s council term, which expires Dec. 31, 2021.