With school board elections seen as barometers of how various political factions are doing, the 2008 elections throughout Hudson County showed some surprising weaknesses and strengths.

As always, Hoboken takes center stage in this political drama, as the reformers sought to repeat their victories from last year.

A divided reform movement may have allowed Old Guard candidates to regroup in what may be the reformers' biggest setback since Dave Roberts defeated Carol Marsh in the 2005 runoff for mayor.

Reformers put up five candidates for three Board of Education seats, thus diluting their vote. Some of them supported the entire three-member "Kids First" slate that included incumbent Tricia Snyder, but reformer and 2nd Ward Councilwoman Beth Mason instead supported two independents in the race in addition to Snyder.

Besieged by reformers prior to the election, incumbent Carmelo Garcia led the winners, followed by board newcomer Phil DeFalco and incumbent Frances Rhodes-Kearns.

This victory bodes well for the re-election hopes of Mayor Dave Roberts, who helped build a coalition that includes Assemblyman Ruben Ramos, freeholder hopeful (and school board member) Frank Raia, and Hoboken Democratic Chairman Maurice Fitzgibbons.

Although Fitzgibbons, an outgoing freeholder, said he played a very small role in the election, others say he was very active behind the scenes.

This means that Fitzgibbons remains a strong political force in Hoboken and someone who may help decide who will become the next mayor.

Tony Amabile, the political consultant hired to handle the Bayonne mayoral campaign for Pat Conaghan, has been credited with helping Roberts to develop the successful Hoboken strategies.

Some say that thanks to the victory, Superintendent of Schools Jack Raslowsky will see strong support for his policies over the next year.

Other key players in the victory were school administrator Tim Calligy, campaign manager Perry Belfiore, campaign treasurer Frank Raia, freeholder candidate Anthony Romano, teachers' union head Gary Enrico, who led the teachers' support, city development director Fred Bado, Joseph Peluso, and a host of election day workers who pulled out the vote.

Beth Mason is also seen as a victor in this election even though her candidates didn't win, because it showed her power since the vote was split. But this could hurt her down the road if old guard and the other faction of reformers get together. Even before the coals of the school election have cooled, some reformers and the Old Guard are apparently planning to work against Mason, a mayoral hopeful next year.

The Old Guard believes they can work with reform councilpeople like Dawn Zimmer and Peter Cunningham, but apparently see Mason as someone who won't play ball.

Expect state Sen. and Union City Mayor Brian Stack to direct his wrath in her direction.

Councilman Michael Russo made few friends in the post-election celebrations by claiming he was part of the winning side, although he seems to have escaped the election relatively unscathed.

Other school elections

For Stack, the Guttenberg school board election may prove to be an embarrassment. For all his supposed clout in North Hudson, he managed to get only one of his three candidates elected - and that was only because a third seat was open.

The two candidates backed by state Sen. and North Bergen Mayor Nicholas Sacco and Guttenberg Mayor David Delle Donna won easily, proving that Guttenberg is still Sacco country.

Some people close to the election credit the Guttenberg organization for reasserting itself after being embarrassed by their loss of Democratic committee seats to Stack last June.

"They wanted to show the world [the Hudson County world at least] that they control their own community," one source said. "It was a very solid victory margin and even more impressive that it happened during the mayor's [Mayor David Delle Donna's] trial."

Sacco also saw his candidates in North Bergen to a solid victory, but the school budget was defeated. Voting down the school budget is something of a tradition in North Bergen, like decorating Christmas trees.

In Weehawken, Mayor Richard Turner saw his three unopposed candidates become victorious. The voters also passed the municipal budget and a bonding referendum for school repairs.

Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and County Executive Tom DeGise saw the one candidate whom they supported defeated.

In Secaucus, Tom Troyer's attempt at a comeback onto the board failed, as he finished fifth in a field of seven candidates.

But in addition, incumbents Susan Pirro and William Millevoi were unseated, suggesting a serious shift in the political winds.

Newcomer Michael Markarski - bright ally to Mayor Dennis Elwell - was elected along with Dora Marra, a member of a prominent Secaucus family. Eleanore Reinl was also re-elected, beginning her 30th year as a member of the board.

Sharpe James verdict a surprise to many local officials

A federal jury found former Newark Mayor Sharpe James guilty on five charges including fraud and conspiracy last week.

Gov. Jon Corzine called it "a sad day" when the jury confirmed the betrayal of public trust by a longstanding and well-known public official.

"Any of the good works done by Mayor James are now overshadowed by this corruption conviction," Corzine said.

The conviction surprised many local political people who had followed the case and thought that the prosecution's case was weak.

Most believe the James conviction is the final feather in the cap of U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie, who has also been responsible for convictions of prominent officials throughout the state including former Hudson County Executive Robert Janiszewski.

Christie, whose term as U.S. Attorney will likely expire with the swearing in of a new president of the United States next January, is expected to use his resumé of convictions to run for New Jersey governor as the Republican candidate.

email to Al Sullivan