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When the City Council reorganizes for its new four year term on Monday at noon, it appears that there will be a surprise choice for Mayor.

Councilwoman-elect Myra Campbell, who ran on the One Asbury ticket with incoming council members John Moor and Amy Quinn, is expected to get the support of reelected incumbents John Loffredo and Susan Henderson to become Mayor.

Campbell [shown left at top on election night with Moor and Quinn] was unable to be reached for comment, but Loffredo and Henderson confirmed they plan to vote for her. Moor said he spoke on Sunday with Campbell who told him she expects to be named Mayor with her vote and the support of the two incumbents.

“I’m flabbergasted,” said Moor, who was expected to be named Mayor as his ticket won a majority on the council and he was high vote getter.

“She knocked on doors and said we have to get rid of the incumbents, and now she cuts a deal with the incumbents,” Moor said.

Quinn was also sharply critical of her former running mate.

“I’m not surprised that Sue Henderson and John Loffredo don’t respect the will of the people of Asbury Park or the tradition of highest voter getters being Mayor and Deputy Mayor, but I’m deeply disappointed that Myra Campbell doesn’t respect the will of the people of Asbury Park either,” Quinn said in a statement.

But Henderson says she’s supporting Campbell for Mayor because that’s what is best for the city.

“I know tradition has been that the highest vote getter should be Mayor,” said Henderson. “But you do what’s best for the city. That’s what you do.”

“It’s also to extend an olive branch, so that everyone knows that the five of us can work together,” said Henderson. “I think it’s good to have someone from one ticket to be Mayor and the other ticket to be Deputy Mayor. In talking, the five of us all want the same thing. I didn’t hear anything differently. I feel that we’re going to be able to move the city in the right direction.”

Loffredo also confirmed he’d be voting for Campbell.

“I think she’s the best choice,” Loffredo said.

Henderson’s first choice for Mayor is her running-mate Loffredo. “He has the experience. He knows how to run a meeting. He’s a leader up there,” Henderson said.

But given that Loffredo likely would not get a third vote for Mayor, Henderson said that Campbell was the best choice of the three newcomers from the One Asbury ticket.

“Out of the three of them, I thought that she would be the best,” Henderson said. “In addition, we would make history. She would be the first African-American woman as Mayor of our city.”

Campbell is also the only African-American elected to the new Council, which also made here a strong choice for Mayor, Henderson said. “She is the representative of the African-American community on our Council now,” she said.

As for Quinn and Moor, Henderson had hoped they’d support Campbell at the reorganization on Monday.

“Myra is a running mate of theirs, and I thought maybe they’d support her,” Henderson said. “They chose her for the ticket so they saw something in her that’s for the good of the city. I think she’s a great choice.”

But Quinn on Sunday night backed away from her decision to run on the same ticket as Campbell.

“Not only has Myra disrespected the entire One Asbury campaign, she has chosen to ignore the wishes of the people of the City of Asbury Park to indulge her ego,” said Quinn. “I would like to add to the people who voted for One Asbury that I’m sorry I trusted Myra, and I’m sorry I asked you to trust her too,” she said.

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