'07 campaign promises to pack political punch

The Sayreville Democratic Party has in the past few years taken over every seat on the Borough Council. The organization has swept at the polls since 2004, when the Republicans last maintained control over the governing body. Now, they're looking to finish the job by winning the mayor's seat.

The party is bringing out the big guns in the hopes of claiming the seat held by Republican Kennedy O'Brien for nearly 12 years. While O'Brien has yet to announce his candidacy for November's election, the Democrats have named council President Thomas Pollando as their mayoral candidate. Pollando will run as part of a ticket that includes two council candidates who also have a name in town - incumbent Daniel Buchanan and Planning Board Chairman Dr. John Misiewicz, who would take Pollando's seat on the council.

What all this means is that, in all likelihood, 2007 will be an exciting year in the world of Sayreville politics, providing even more fireworks than the usual action-packed "silly season." The borough has a history of bitter election battles, and this year's promises to have both camps firing on all cylinders.

For now, the players are keeping it cool. The Republicans are still screening candidates, though O'Brien is expected to run, and the Democrats have touched on some of the issues in their platform. Pollando even noted that he likes O'Brien on a personal level, but opposes his politics.

One might say the first shots have yet to be fired in this campaign, but in Sayreville the game is always on. Democrats on the council, for example, blocked O'Brien last year from his attempt to remain on the borough's redevelopment agency at a crucial time for that agency. Meanwhile, Republican Party Chairman Ronald Green recently said the Democrats have "raised taxes to unprecedented levels while disrespecting the office of the mayor."

It's not necessarily a bad thing that people do battle the way they do in Sayreville. In the end, one would hope it's out of sheer desire to do right by the residents. It's just an added bonus that we get to watch the fight to attain that goal.