Former Glen Ridge Mayor Carl Bergmanson has announced his plans to take on Barbara Buono in the Democratic primary for Governor. Bergmanson also ran against Gov. Jon Corzine in the 2009 primary after an unsuccessful effort to recall Corzine. Bergmanson finished second, with 9 percent of the vote.
Bergmanson, who calls himself a “fiscally responsible” Democrat, announced his intention to run in a radio interview with Jim Gearhart today. He told Gearhart that beating Buono was “an uphill battle,” but that he couldn’t just stand by and watch property taxes grow out of control.
“Property taxes have gone through the roof,” he said. “And almost nothing has been done to ameliorate that problem.”
(Surely there’s a better picture of Mr. Bergmanson. I don’t know much about GR politics, but I respect any person who stays involved in politics. So I look forward to lively debate and coverage.)
New picture!
That’s much better Liz, thanks. Perhaps you should make a gallery of Carl photos. One from his DUI arrest last year, that shot of him in bed with that Japanese inflatable doll, a screen grab from the surveillance video when he robbed that 7-11 in Secaucus…
Just kidding! Carl has never been photographed doing any of these things… to my knowledge.
Yay, Mayor Carl! Anyone who can use the word “ameliorate” properly in a sentence gets my vote! ;P and if you’re not successful, you can move into my guest room and run for Mayor of Montclair…
A quixotic and doomed run, Ms. Buono will duly become the official sacrificial lamb. (Everything I’ve heard from her lately, anyway, it makes her sound sort of stupid and stubborn about it. Devotedly liberal, too, but as Corzine’s re-election bid proved, the perfect sort of BlueWaveNJ candidate is destined to flop everywhere else in the state.))
Carl Bergmanson might indeed make a better lieutenant governor on the Christie team. And it’s a nice path to higher office eventually, Carl.
I like this shot
http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/2009/05/large_Carl-Bergmanson.JPG
Thanks for the kind words everyone – Pat, I also like that picture – I think it was taken on my last day as Mayor.
Good luck, Carl!
Carl – looks to be the one on your Linkedin profile and also from here (2008). Good luck – I’ll be voting for you!
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/longshots_challenge_nj_governo.html
Awesome news, just saw this. Wishing you the best, Carl.
It’s hard to wrap one’s brain round the concept that Buono will actually be the gubernatorial candidate of the Democrats, politically distinguished the lady is not. But “Bergmanson’s the one” also does not work, either, and while he’s a nice and smart and witty guy, he probably has zero chance to win the nomination.
So all these wishes of good luck ring a little hollow. From quondam “friends” at best. Why not, instead, Carl, run against Nia Gill or that “adviser” to Obama that the proprietors of this site have clearly decided is the new equivalent to the Mahdi? Or for the Congressional nod? Either one, Carl, I’d gladly cross party lines to vote for you.
Good luck, Carl. You’ve got the marsupial vote.
THe problem is, Carl, that the previous candidates and incumbents all believe that ameliorate means “to add on.” And even though I am no longer a New Jersey resident you can count on me to vote early and often for you. Or, if you prefer, I am pretty sure I can get access to the software that counts the ballots. Either way, you da man!