SECAUCUS—Richard Kane, who resigned from his Secaucus council position in 2009, recently denied rumors he plans to challenge Mayor Michael Gonnelli in the November elections.
“No!” Kane exclaimed with surprise as a reporter asked him if the rumors were true on Tuesday. “No intentions whatsoever. There’s no news there.”
The former Democratic 1st Ward councilman stepped down after he got a job in Connecticut. The new position required extensive commuting, leaving him unable to fulfill his council duties.
That year was a reelection year for former Mayor Dennis Elwell, who soon stepped down after federal agents arrested him on corruption charges. In a turning of the Democratic tides that once ruled Secaucus, Gonnelli easily won election that November, along with his Independent “Take Back Secaucus” slate. Since then, the Independents have enjoyed considerable popularity among local residents.
The deadline for any Democratic or Republican slates or individuals to run in the June primary was April 3. So far, no slates or individuals have publicly announced their intuitions to enter the race.
Gonnelli has been a member of the town’s Independent party for many years.
