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The opportunity for Asbury Park to have its first African-American female Mayor is motivating incoming Councilwoman Myra Campbell to seek the post, with reelected incumbents John Loffredo and Susan Henderson providing the necessary votes.

“A window of opportunity that has never been opened for an African-American female in this city, and may never be opened again, was presented to me,” said Campbell, who will be sworn in today at the council reorganization meeting at noon.

Campbell ran on the One Asbury council ticket with Amy Quinn and John Moor, who will also be sworn in today. Moor was expected to be named Mayor as his ticket won a majority on the council and he was high vote getter, which traditionally is the person appointed Mayor in the city.

“This was an extremely difficult decision to make knowing tradition would be changed and would affect two people I’ve worked with for months,” said Campbell [shown left at top on election night with running mates Moor and Quinn].

Campbell asked her running mates to “make a concession” to nominate her for Mayor — as the incumbents offered to do on Friday night — and Campbell in turn would support them for alternate terms as Deputy Mayor, she said.

“This was unacceptable to them,” Campbell said. “I empathize with what they are going through at this time. I will make every effort to show them that together we can move the platform we stood on forward.”

Since both Quinn and Moor rejected the post of Deputy Mayor, Campbell says she intends to vote for incumbent Susan Henderson for the position.

“Everyone on this council will take an oath today to serve the citizens of Asbury Park. Time to heal is needed, and I hope we can unite for the common good of all,” she said.

But Campbell’s former running mates had sharp words for her last night.

“I’m flabbergasted,” said Moor. “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 said Campbell’s decision to become Mayor disrespects “the will of the people.”

“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.

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,” Henderson said yesterday. “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 on Sunday 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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