If the word “gala” brings to mind a moneyed crowd in ball gowns and tuxes demurely sipping champagne, “Jersey City gala” might suggest something else: A group diverse in age and occupation wearing Princess Beatrice hats, tutus, soldier suits and other “black-tie creative” outfits, eating, drinking and having a blast. In other words, Snow Ball.

The sixth annual Snow Ball fundraiser for Art House Productions, held Saturday at 1 McWilliams Place, had a ’70s-glam, Studio 54 vibe. Just steps beyond the elevator doors on Floor 6 (which a tuxedoed gentleman graciously held open), was the “Welcome Wall,” the glittery Snow Ball 2012 creation that was a joint effort of Miguel Cardenas and volunteers.

“Our biggest goal is to transform the space,” says Art House Productions’ executive director, Christine Goodman. “We wanted guests to feel like they were walking into a different world coming to the Snow Ball.”

The event was sold out, meeting the nonprofit group’s fundraising goal of $12,000, about a fifth of its operating budget. The night had numerous sponsors and supporters, among them the Jersey City Independent and NEW; Kane Brewing Co., Wine Sisterhood, Chopin Vodka and Fizzy Lizzy, which provided drinks; and Satis Bistro, LITM, the Hamilton Inn, Made With Love and the soon-to-open GP’s Restaurant in Hamilton Square, which provided food. Silverman and Hamilton Square were major sponsors.

Live music was provided by the One & Nines and DJ George “Soul” Fernandez of Global Soul Project played well into the night, offering the crowd a rare big, local live music show and dance party.

The room was full of members of the Jersey City arts scene as well as politicians such as Mayor Healy, Ward E Councilman Steve Fulop, Ward D Councilman Bill Gaughan, At-Large Councilman Rolando Lavarro and Hudson County Freeholder Anthony Romano. Also in attendance was Bill LaRosa, director of the Hudson County Office of Cultural and Heritage Affairs/Tourism Development, which provides grants and education programs for arts groups across Hudson County.

A fashion show commenced after speeches by Goodman, Healy, Gaughan, LaRosa and others, with Bettina Mackley, in a tutu, silver jacket and snowflake crown, winning the prize for best costume in a tight field that included standouts like Rich Kiamco and David Gibson, who wore bright colors and matching hats piled with netting, ribbons and pearls.

“It’s amazing to look around the room and say wow, this really is the face of the city we live in and it’s so wonderful and so colorful,” Goodman says. “Every year the costumes grow more and more creative and every year we’re able to raise more money, which is important because we’re growing as an organization.”

Art House, now in its 11th year, has its Stages! youth theater academy launching Feb. 7; the coming play will be Beauty and the Beast. In addition to a fall production that’s TBD, the organization will host an electronic music festival in the first half of the year.

Goodman said cleanup on Sunday took about eight hours and numerous volunteers — “a lot of very tired faces dragging themselves out of bed to come mop.”

“It’s a great party and everybody has so much fun,” she says, “but it’s also an important night for us as an organization and we’re really proud of how it went.”

Photos by Jennifer Weiss

Morelli (whose first name is pronounced YAH-jah), has hosted parties and small, informal concerts in her home on Belmont Avenue near Lincoln Park since she bought it in 2001. She has also rented out the ground floor of the three-floor row house. Now, with the help of friends and the use of the entire space, Morelli plans to host occasional public art shows and live music events.

The home’s first event as the Morelli Gallery was a New Year’s Eve party on Saturday that drew dozens of friends and revelers who had access to all three floors, including the top floor, where a door opened onto a bedroom where a black and white cat lay stretched out on a bed. Art from Morelli’s personal collection was hung on the walls. Neva Wartell, aka “DJ Neva,” Morelli’s friend and next-door neighbor, spun a truly diverse mix of songs — jazz, funk, world music, reggae, hip hop and techno. The band Village Drums of Freedom filled the space with infectious, danceable beats and the harp-like sound of a kora, a West African stringed instrument resembling a rustic oversized banjo. The kora player was a college friend of Morelli’s from Guinea via the Bronx.

“It was always sort of a dream to have our own space, because you really can’t do things the way you want to when you have to rely on other people’s space,” says Wartell, who is also an ethnomusicologist and associate curator of music and cultural programming for the nonprofit Uptown Crew. She plans to assist Morelli with the gallery. “That’s where the whole thing started.”

“There are a lot of art galleries [in Jersey City], but there are very few event spaces,” she adds, “and there are very few spaces that have the ambiance of a house party.”

Ed Ramirez, the owner of Ed’s Salvage Co., a vintage/consignment shop with two locations in nearby McGinley Square, also helped Morelli promote and prep for the New Year’s Eve party. Ramirez hosts occasional art events and rattled off what he described as a growing number of venues supporting the arts in the neighborhood. Donations made at Morelli’s party benefited his store’s fundraising arm, Ed’s Salvage Co. Gives.

Morelli, for her part, says buying her home a decade ago was a personal accomplishment for her as a single woman. From the very beginning, she wanted to “share [the space] with everyone.” A week after she got the keys, she threw a huge party featuring Haitian drumming.

While she is not a visual artist or musician herself — she works in accounting — she enjoys providing space for people to view art and listen to music, especially world music, which she loves.

She has gotten “a lot of positive feedback” from Saturday’s party, and says she hopes to host small art shows and living room concerts for mostly Jersey City artists moving forward.

“A small crowd, a few couches,” she says, “and some live music just to also expose talented people from our area.”

Photos by K. Robert

Bar Majestic is offering a $25 open bar from 8-10 pm, a $35 open bar from 8 pm-midnight and a no-cover, pay-as-you-go option, plus champagne and prosecco specials and the chance to watch the ball drop on a big screen. 275 Grove Street, barmajesticjc.com.

At Boca Grande, the Fusion Fridays Group hosts a New Year’s Bollywood Dhol Party with drink specials throughout the night. The event starts at 9:30 pm. Early-bird discount entry is $20 per person with a $5 discount for couples. 564 Washington Boulevard, bocagrandenj.com.

The Brightside Tavern for $99 has a buffet with carving station, open bar til 1 am, hors d’oeuvres, three rooms of music and a dance floor, plus a champagne toast and free shuttle service, starting at 9 pm. The bar will stay open til 4 am. 141 Bright Street, brightsidetavern.com.

Casa Dante‘s New Year’s Eve Bash starts at 8:30 pm and includes live music with Julian & Dominique, dinner, dancing, party favors, hors d’oeuvres, and a champagne toast for $175 per person plus gratuity and tax. Reservations are required (only the early dinner seatings are still available); call (201) 795-2750. 737 Newark Ave, casadante.com.

The Hamilton Inn has three seatings for dinner at 5, 7 and 9 pm, plus a $75 open bar from 9 pm to 2 am that includes passed hors d’oeuvres and a champagne toast at midnight. 708 Jersey Avenue, hamiltoninnjc.com.

The Iron Monkey is hosting a masquerade party with a prize for best mask, games and contests and live music by DJ MC and DJ Cool Kid. The party runs from 8:30 pm to 1 am and the bar stays open till 4 am. $40 includes a buffet and rooftop champagne toast; $110 includes the buffet, 5 hours premium open bar, and the midnight toast; $130 includes all that plus a craft beer station; and $200 is a couple’s package with the buffet, 5 hours open premium bar, craft beer station and midnight toast for two. Reservations are required for the $110 and $130 packages. For more information or reservations, email alex@ironmonkey.com or cindy@ironmonkey.com or call (201) 435-5756. 97 Greene Street, ironmonkey.com.

The Light Horse Tavern is offering a special holiday menu from 5 to 8 pm for $55, vegetarian menu $45, with piano music from 7 to 9 pm. At 9:45 pm, the tasting dinner ($85, with a vegetarian option for $65) includes live jazz music, a midnight champagne toast, a cash bar after midnight and dancing into the early morning hours. Black tie optional. To make reservations, call (201) 946-2028. 199 Washington Street, lighthorsetavern.com.

LITM‘s 2012 Mayan Apocalypse Party includes Mayan-inspired cocktails, a special dinner menu and DJ Kevlove spinning from 9 pm to 3 am, plus themed movies, noisemakers and more. Early dinner seatings from 5 to 7:30 pm with a 2 and a half hour table limit and no reserved seatings after 10:30. Reservations are a must for dinner before midnight; call (201) 536-5557. 140 Newark Avenue, litm.com.

Lucky 7′s has an all-night dance party with DJ Leonard Smalls, drink specials and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight. The festivities start at 8 pm. 322 2nd Street, lucky7tavern.com.

Maritime Parc is offering two menus from chef Chris Siverson and a late-night party. At the first dinner seating (6:30-7 pm), $75 per person includes a 3-course prix fixe menu and a glass of bubbly; at the second seating (9:30-10 pm), $125 per person includes a 5-course prix fixe menu and a glass of bubbly; and the special New Year’s party (9:30 pm to 2 am), $150 per person, includes a full premium open bar, DJ and dancing all night, dinner buffet until 11 pm, cocktail buffet until 11 pm and a midnight toast with views of the New York skyline. For reservations, call (201) 413-0050. 84 Audrey Zapp Drive, maritimeparc.com.

Michael Anthony’s is offering a five-hour premium open bar from 8 pm to 1 am and a Neapolitan Hot & Cold Holiday Buffet from 9 pm to 11 pm with views of the New York skyline. $125 in advance, $160 at the door. The party is hosted by 20 Pack from VH1 with music in the Waterfront Room by DJ Alex Perez and Alpha Mix and live music by the Eamonn Ryan Band in the Bayview Room. The winners of the King & Queen of 2012 Contest will be announced at midnight and the best new year’s kiss will receive a complimentary hotel room and a bottle of champagne. Doors open at 8 pm. For reservations, email chris@michaelanthonynj.com or call (201) 798-1798. 502 Washington Boulevard, michaelanthonynj.com.

The Morelli Gallery, one of Jersey City’s newest gallery and event spaces, is hosting a party at its three-floor digs at 165 Belmont Avenue starting at 8 pm. Music by DJ Neva & Music for the Masses. $10 admission with part of the proceeds going to benefit Ed’s Salvage Co. GIVES.

O’Connell’s Restaurant has a three-course dinner menu for $40 from 6-8:30 pm and $45 from 9-11 pm. There will be a DJ, an open bar from 9:30 pm to 1:30 am and a champagne toast at midnight. 111 Montgomery Street, oconnellsbarandgrill.com.

Pint Bar is offering a free New Year’s Eve party complete with hats, noisemakers, music by VJ Wildcard and a midnight toast. The bar will be open from 5 pm to 4 am with happy hour specials from 5-8 pm. 34 Wayne Street, pintbar.com.

At Port-O Lounge, $90 gets you a three-course dinner, champagne toast at midnight and open bar from 8 pm-midnight. 286 1st Street, portolounge.com.

At Satis Bistro, food will be served from 8 pm to 2 am ($95), and house music will play until 2:30 am. BYO. 212 Washington St., satisbistro.com.

Instigatorzine, an indie literature and art magazine based in Jersey City and Bayonne, is throwing a New Year’s Eve bash at Tommy 2 Scoops. Dress is formal — “you should dress like you’re going to a wedding or your prom,” according to the Facebook invite. The party runs from 10 pm to 3 am and is BYO. 177 York Street, tommy2scoops.com.

The White Star Bar is offering an open bar, buffet and champagne toast at midnight for $40. 230 Brunswick Street, whitestarbar.com.

Zeppelin Hall is offering a no-cover, no-reservations event with a DJ and dancing, plus the chance to watch the ball drop on the bar’s high-def screens. 88 Liberty View Drive, zeppelinhall.com.

Jackson Hill Main Street SID approved: The council also voted to approve the creation of a new Special Improvement District it hopes will revitalize the Monticello Avenue/Martin Luther King Drive area.

Group Meets to Discuss Sale of Christ Hospital: Last night’s meeting on the sale of Christ Hospital provided a forum for people to ask questions and comment on the pending sale of Christ Hospital to a controversial for-profit hospital chain based in California. Look for more from JCI today.

Change to Entertainment Ordinance Scrapped: The retooled entertainment ordinance was withdrawn at last night’s council meeting.

More Cabs for Journal Square: The city council voted unanimously to bump up the number of taxis authorized to use the Journal Square taxi stand from 6 pm to midnight for the next two months, responding to residents’ complaints about long waits.

New Coach, New Season: The basketball team of St. Peter’s Prep, under new coach Todd Decker, kicks off its season tomorrow at 7 pm in Hoboken.

City’s Firefighters Honored: More than 100 of Jersey City’s bravest were honored yesterday in an awards ceremony at Middle School 7 on Laidlaw Avenue.

Crime Blotter: A member of the Bloods gang was sentenced to 10 years in prison yesterday for conspiring to kill a rival gang member; an unlicensed driver who allegedly blew past a Holland Tunnel toll was arrested after he was found to owe thousands of dollars in fines and fees.

Today’s Best Bets:

Pick up reusable shopping totes, produce bags and gift bags at Bag the Habit’s Holiday Sample Sale. Samples and “imperfects” start at $1. 277 Grove Street, Suite 201. Call (877) 210-4598 with any questions.

J CITY Theater’s performance of A Tuna Christmas, the “marathon holiday comedy of Southern madness,” continues through Saturday.

In Statewide News:

President Obama Announces End to War in Iraq: The U.S. Military today officially declared the War in Iraq over. The war began in 2003 and cost almost 4,500 American lives and more than 100,000 Iraqi lives. U.S. Troops are to leave Iraq Dec. 31, though Obama has pledged that the U.S. will continue to provide civilian assistance. According to the Star-Ledger, 142 servicemembers with ties to New Jersey have died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Office Cleaners to March in Newark: Office cleaners, including those who clean offices in buildings along the Hudson County waterfront, will march in Newark today and take a vote on a possible strike. The workers represent 7,000 from around the state and the event will also include elected officials and top officers from 32BJ. Contract talks for the cleaners began in October, but union officers say employers’ demands would threaten the health benefits and cut the pay of workers already struggling to stay out of poverty.

New Jersey Prepares Power Work-Around: A blistering report by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities recommends establishing a state power authority to build new capacity, part of a work-around to get past a federal block on new power plants.

Jobs Cut, Tolls Set to Rise Again: The NJ Turnpike Authority board approved an operating budget that eliminates 141 full-time jobs through attrition. Tolls are set to rise again Jan. 1 on the Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway.

Protesters who gathered outside the hospital early yesterday evening had come to oppose the planned sale and support the hospital’s workers. When they arrived, the small group of Occupy Jersey City members, union members and others learned of the layoffs.

Christ has a mostly nonunion staff of about 1,400, with the 400 nurses represented by the Health Professionals and Allied Employees union. Spokeswoman Jeanne Otersen has said HPAE isn’t opposed to the deal with Prime, but that “any change at Christ needs to protect the mission of the hospital, the services it provides, and the jobs.”

Miguel Peralta, a member of Occupy Jersey City who attended the protest, says news of the 50 layoffs came as a surprise.

“We had no idea, and that made it an even more important thing for us to be there for,” he says.

Peralta, who was born at the hospital and worked in its case management office until he was laid off several years ago, still lives nearby and believes a sale to Prime Healthcare Services “would do harm to the community.” He worries about the Southern California hospital chain’s “questionable” record, and the potential for cuts to charity care in a community that sorely needs it.

“Especially for some of the locals, they have nowhere else to go,” Peralta says. “It really is a matter of life or death for some people.”

Christ hospital is at a crossroads, looking to merge with a larger, financially stronger system to survive the new normal for healthcare, in which government, employers, and health insurance companies are trying to clamp down on the double-digit growth in spending. These financial pressures are most critical for safety net hospitals like Christ, which each year rack up huge deficits caring for the poor and uninsured — hospitals that would be very deep in the red without millions of dollars in state aid.

But as JCI and others have reported, Prime has been plagued by accusations of improper and harmful billing practices. The chain is the subject of multiple lawsuits and a federal investigation focused on its Medicare billing. Concerns have been raised by news reports in California that several Prime hospitals have had unusually high levels of the infection septicemia and that Prime has engaged in questionable billing practices know as “upcoding” to increase reimbursements from health plans.

Kelly has said he personally reviewed the California health department documents relating to these issues and is satisfied the allegations are without merit. He said Prime plans to invest $35 million in Christ, money that would put the hospital on a sound financial footing and enable it to invest in the new equipment it needs.

On the hospital’s website, Kelly says Prime in fact “has been recognized by independent experts for its excellence in patient care delivery, particularly in the area of charity care.” Its sale, he says, will “give us the resources and stability we desperately need to survive.”

The transfer must be approved by both the state attorney general and the commissioner of health, and Kelly has asked for an expedited review in order to close the deal by the end of the year. The City Council has expressed its opposition to the fast-tracked request, as has state assemblyman Ruben J. Ramos Jr.

In a letter to New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow dated Nov. 9, Ramos said he was concerned about the rising trend of for-profit hospitals in Hudson County and asked Dow “to review the bidding process, to ensure Christ Hospital took all the necessary steps” to identify a not-for-profit buyer before negotiating with Prime.

“I have serious concerns regarding the nature of the sale, the lack of transparency, the limited community involvement and the reputation of Prime Healthcare Services,” Ramos wrote. “There are reasonable alternatives to this deal, and expediting the review of this sale would not only shut out the community from public input, but leave out other equally sound deals that are in the public interest.”

Christ Hospital has been “greatly challenged by the current economic climate,” he said in a statement yesterday addressing the layoffs.

“We have made a prudent decision to be proactive in reducing the hospital’s overall expenses to meet the objectives of the 2012 budget,” he said. “We continue our commitment to the community by serving all residents of Hudson County.”

A community meeting has been organized to discuss the hospital sale, Dec. 14 at 7 pm at Abundant Joy Christian Center, 137 Bowers Street (at Summit Avenue).

Beth Fitzgerald from our media partner NJ Spotlight contributed to this report.

Photo by Erik-Anders Nilsson

But with two as-yet unopened cartridges hanging in the balance, Mack says she will ask for vote counts to be checked “if results are close,” and Lavarro supporters yesterday turned out at the Hudson County Clerk’s office to protest the delay and demand their candidate be declared the winner.

The Lavarro supporters yesterday carried signs reading “We Demand Transparency Now,” “Hudson County Be Honest For Once,” “Don’t Steal History From Us” and “Asian Americans Unite!”

As results remained stuck at 95.05 percent of votes counted Tuesday night and into Wednesday, “Lavarro was not informed of the next steps of the count,” said a statement released by his spokesman Andre Richardson; he did not get a “courtesy call” to witness the mail-in ballot count and wasn’t told which districts remained unaccounted for.

“We would be foolish to think that there’s not at least the possibility of some clandestine activity happening here,” wrote Richardson, who is not related to Viola Richardson. “There is a serious lack of transparency in the part of the Hudson County Clerk’s office and the Board of Elections as to how the vote count procedure took place at the conclusion of election night on November 8.” Lavarro did not respond to a request for comment.

Mack ended Tuesday night some 300 votes away from Lavarro with 95.05 percent of votes counted, not including mail-in and provisional ballots, and told JCI the night after the election that she would not concede until the rest of the votes were counted. The as-yet unopened cartridges will be opened Monday by court order, according to Board of Elections Clerk Michael Harper.

Results have since been updated to reflect 98.9 percent of votes counted, based on two cartridges that were mistakenly left at PS 39, near Lincoln Park, and not picked up and counted until Wednesday morning, according to the BOE; those results show Richardson with 3,937 votes, Lavarro, 3,443, and Mack, 3,168.

Adding those totals to the number of mail-in and provisional ballots, the gap between Lavarro and Mack is now 219 votes.

But no matter what happens next, Mack said today that she will ask for results to be checked. She said she would have to look into the exact process she would pursue and the potential cost.

“I’m going to ask for a re-check, this has just been too strange,” Mack said. “I see no downside to asking for a re-check.”

It’s possible the two unopened cartridges were never used, according to Harper. With totals in for mail-in votes and provisional ballots, “There’s not enough out there to really change anything,” he said.

Mack received the most mail-in votes, according to the BOE, but not enough to pull ahead of Lavarro. Vote counts provided by the BOE show Mack leading with 157 mail-in ballots; top finisher Viola Richardson, Councilwoman for Ward F, received 153; Rolando Lavarro, 105; At-Large Councilwoman Kalimah Ahmad, 96; At-Large Councilman Ray Velazquez, 86; and Omar Perez, 78.

There were less than 200 provisional ballots, and among them were 21 votes for Richardson, 17 for Mack and 13 for Lavarro, according to the BOE.

“There’s no reason to concede at this point in time,” Mack told JCI the night after the election. “I worked very hard on the election. I had a very good team of people with me… It wouldn’t be fair to the people I worked with if the process is incomplete.

“At the end of the day, if Rolando wins, I will be very happy to support him,” she said. “He’s a very nice person and I will be very supportive of him, if he indeed does win the election.”

Photo courtesy of Andre Richardson

Earlier tonight, with a little over 80 percent of the votes tallied, Richardson, 66, gave an informal victory speech.

“I have the best workers anyone could ask for,” she said to an enthusiastic group of about 20 supporters who had come to her Greenville office to wait with her as results came in. “I could not have done that without all the people you see in this room.”

Richardson was vying to move from her ward council seat to one of the citywide slots. The at-large seats were open because of Mariano Vega’s ouster due to his corruption arrest and conviction and Willie Flood’s resignation due to illness.

The special election was a historic opportunity for voters to decide the composition of the council — for the first time, according to the city clerk, two at-large seats were up for grabs.

Lavarro, who had bracketed with Richardson, moved into second place as the votes were tallied, bumping Sue Mack back from second to third; by 10:11 pm, with 95 percent of votes counted, Lavarro had 3,359 to Mack’s 3,049. Lavarro, 41, is Filipino-American and would become the city’s first Asian-American councilman if elected.

It’s a position he was almost in before. In 2009, Lavarro got enough votes in his challenge to Ward A councilman Michael Sottolano to force a runoff election, which he ended up losing.

“I just feel very strongly that we need to bring change to Jersey City,” he said tonight from his office on John F. Kennedy Boulevard among some 30 supporters. “Folks aren’t happy with the status quo.”

None of his campaign workers were paid, said his campaign manager, Helen Castillo, 50.

“Without money, without machinery, we won,” she said.

Lavarro and his supporters were heading to the Mojo Lounge on West Side Avenue to celebrate.

Macks’s supporters were watching results come in over appetizers and drinks at Brightside Tavern, and when the returns shifted to put Lavarro in the lead, the room grew quiet and there were some audible sighs.

“I’m surprised that Viola is doing so well because she’s not backed by the (Hudson County Democratic) Organization,” said Mack supporter Diana Hucyk, who remained hopeful Mack would win.

Mack, for her part, said she would not concede until the absentee ballots had been counted.

Downtown at the Port-O Lounge and Restaurant, supporters of Dan Levin watched election results on a big-screen monitor hooked up to a laptop. The gathering consisted of a small group of campaign workers, friends and relatives. As results came in and Levin moved farther from the top of the pack, the mood was somber but stayed positive.

Kalimah Ahmad was also upbeat as she arrived at Puccini’s Restaurant on West Side Avenue tonight with a group of about 35 to 40 people that included a handful of supporters in yellow and black “Team Ahmad” shirts, Mayor Jerramiah Healy and Councilman Bill Gaughan.

“I see everyone looking so sad, but not me, I’m smiling,” said the incumbent Democrat. “I’m just excited to be here, I’ve never seen an election from this point of view.”

“I have no intention of ever running again,” Ahmad added. “You can quote me on that.”

Healy seemed to accept the defeat of Ahmad and her running mate, councilman Ray Velazquez, who was not at the restaurant.

“The people have spoken and we accept the verdict,” Healy said early on as it became clear Ahmad and Velazquez would not end up in the top two slots. “I’m looking forward to working with whoever ends up winning.”

In her Greenville office tonight, Richardson thanked her children, nephews, a local pastor and councilwoman Nidia Lopez, who was at her side the entire night and said Richardson deserved one of the at-large seats.

“She’s been doing at-large without the title,” Lopez said. “She’s a woman of integrity that cares about her ward and for her people.”

John Miller, 46, a Richardson campaign volunteer, said the councilwoman had helped him get a job cleaning city streets after he was released from jail.

“I’ll do anything for her, six days a week,” Miller said. “She’s a straightforward person.”

As election returns continued to come in and kept her in the top spot, Richardson was asked if she would run for mayor in 2013.

“I might,” she said with a smile as her supporters cheered.

“She should,” Lopez said.

With reporting by Karen Keller, Chris Neidenberg, Matt Hunger and Tom Howard.

Photo of Viola Richardson and Nidia Lopez by Karen Keller

Richardson received 3,881 votes and Lavarro received 3,359; behind the winners by a margin of about 300 votes was Mack with 3,049. Ahmad received 2,910 votes and Velazquez, 2,687.

Richard Boggiano placed sixth with 2,429 votes and Dan Levin came in seventh with 2,024. Mack’s bracketing partner, Omar Perez, garnered 1,507 votes, behind Imtiaz Syed, who received 1,559.

Democrats swept the statewide offices in Hudson County, with State Sen. Sandra Bolden Cunningham keeping her seat (31st District) with nearly 81 percent of the vote. State Senators Nicholas Sacco and Brian Stack of the 32nd and 33rd districts won their contests with 81 and 86 percent of the vote, respectively.

For the General Assembly, it was Charles Mainor and Jason O’Donnell in the 31st district, Vincent Prieto and Angelica M. Jimenez in the 32nd, and Ruben J. Ramos, Jr. and Sean Connors in the 33rd.

Thomas A. DeGise won for county executive with more than 81 percent of the vote, and Pamela Gardner won for County Register.

Look for more election coverage from JCI tomorrow.

The move marks a break for Boraczek, a supporter of mayor Jerramiah Healy. When Velazquez, the city’s first openly gay councilman, was sworn in last October, Boraczek called his appointment “a fantastic step forward for the LGBT community.”

“Anytime there is someone seated at the table of government who self-identifies as openly LGBT, that provides role models for the entire community,” he said at the time, while also noting that “the fact that Ray happens to be openly gay is not the credential that makes him most qualified for this position.”

Yesterday, he had a different message.

“While the incumbent candidates for Jersey City Council At-Large may have assumed that my support was imminent, their expectations will be met today with the same level of disappointment that mine have been met with for 13 months,” Boraczek wrote in the endorsement, posted to Facebook.

“Their inaction and pandering has been delivered, neatly disguised behind a message of promise and hope, and I am not fooled. Words are not enough for what I want to see this great city become – I need to see action!”

He wrote that he supports Mack and Perez because of their experience “and work to sidestep the landmines of making it about their agendas, their alliances and their egos.” He noted Mack’s work on the Board of Education, community policing and Hudson Light Rail, and Perez’s work advocating New Jersey’s Civil Union legislation and public safety as well as his volunteerism.