By Isiah Christie

In a major upset win, Mayor of Bayonne, Jimmy Davis, last week, defeated Frank Schillari for the position of Hudson County sheriff. Few expected this outcome, especially as Schillari had been holding the position since 2010, but apparently, many residents of North Jersey’s populous area believed their cities needed change in protection and a new face. Davis, who had been in law enforcement for ages, provided them the perfect option.

Davis has had an extensive history in law enforcement, having joined the Bayonne police force in 1986 and had maintained close ties with their prosecution and special crimes divisions over the past decades. Such experience went a long way to aid his campaign, as many trusted his promises of safety and stability within Hudson. The widespread support for Davis’ aspirations, including the vocal endorsement of the Jersey City Police Superior’s Association, also worked wonders for his victory.

Davis has promised to put in place policies and opportunities that will keep the highly-dense municipalities like Jersey City and Hoboken, safe. His transition to the position of Sheriff is also expected to be seamless.

Schillari was believed to have approached his campaign poorly. His association with Jersey City Mayor, Steven Fulop, who had fallen out with the Hudson Democratic Organization caused him to lose his democratic vote in favor of Davis. He also set Davis on fire by highlighting workplace sexual assault allegations, although Davis returned with criticisms of Schillari’s handling of his financial allocation as sheriff. Schillari also denied live debates with Davis on two occasions, a move many residents saw as unadmirable and a major red flag to his re-election bid.

Davis’ main focus revolved around ensuring the safety of the next generation and reducing the crime rates of Hudson County’s many growing cities, which are attracting new citizens on a regular basis. “We’re going to make Hudson County a better place for our children”, he promised. Whether his tenure will be beneficial to the country’s fourth-most populous county as of late will be determined, but citizens are in widespread support of the change and Bayonne considers it a hometown victory in particular.