On Your Mark, Political Prognosticators!

The filing date for the June primary is still more than two weeks away, but meanwhile there is nothing so delicious to Plainfielders as indulging in political speculation.

Will the Regular Dems see a challenge from some irregular Dems? Will SRB run for council? Will Jerry sing G-L-O-R-I-A or some other tune?

Part of the mystery will be cleared up Friday when the Democratic City Committee meets to endorse a slate. All will be known by 4 p.m. on March 31, the deadline for petitions to be handed in to the city clerk.

What we know so far:

Third Ward Councilwoman Gloria Taylor announced her candidacy at the Cedarbrook Block Association meeting on March 6. Appointed after former Third Ward Councilman won the mayoralty, Taylor is running for the unexpired balance of Mapp's term.

Incumbent Councilwoman Rebecca Williams also announced her candidacy for re-election to the Second & Third Ward at-large seat at the same meeting, and introduced the group's vice-president, Charles McRae, as her Third Ward running mate. She has promised an "excellent candidate" on her team to run in the First Ward, but has not yet disclosed a name.

Diane Toliver, wife of former PMUA Commissioner Alex Toliver, announced her candidacy for the First Ward seat on Feb. 10, before a council vote that replaced her husband on the PMUA board with Charles Tyndale.

On Tuesday, incumbent First Ward Councilman William Reid announced at a PMUA meeting that he was not seeking re-election. Reid was there to present Toliver with a resolution thanking him for his service on the PMUA, but then made a rambling speech about numerous other topics. He reminded all present that the Democratic City Committee was meeting on Friday, which may have been redundant, as PMUA Commissioners Harold Mitchell, Malcolm Dunn, Carol Ann Brokaw and Cecil Sanders are all on the committee and probably had been notified by then.

Democrats now outnumber Republicans more than 14 to 1, so all eyes are on the June primary where a Democratic win is historically tantamount to success in the November general election. Independents can file on June 3 to be on the November ballot and can hope for support from the city's more than 8,000 unaffiliated registered voters and any party members they can attract.

Yikes! It's already Friday now! The RDO meeting is 7 p.m. at the YWCA tonight.

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