High turnout but no answers in Passaic mayors' race

PASSAIC – Opposing forces converge on School No. 3 in the Third Ward, the local political base of Acting Mayor/Assemblyman Gary Schaer.

Schaer and his ally, mayoral candidate Dr. Alex Blanco, greet people in front of the school as they head in to vote.

A car door slams and a slender man jumps the curb.

It’s School Board President Vincent Capuana, one of Blanco’s rivals in the mayors’ contest.

“We’ve been here in Gary’s base since this morning,” confides one of Capuana’s backers. “He moves, we move.”

Capuana intends to campaign here a little longer and then he’ll head back to his base at School No.  1 in the 1st Ward – to catch the afternoon rush.

No one knows what’s happening in this five-man contest in which Capuana – a 26-year veteran of the Board - and Blanco, have both been running hard.

All anyone knows is turnout in the city is high.

A car blasts into the area.

“LaBoy. LaBoy. If you want change, if you want change right now in Passaic, vote for LaBoy.”

The car hurries past.

Allies of Angel LaBoy, a candidate in the council race.

Schaer keeps greeting voters. Capuana walks over to him and the two rivals embrace for a picture.

An SUV comes barreling onto the scene and its tires screech to a stop in front of the schools where Schaer and Capuana and the others congregate, all of them agreeing they don’t know who’s going to win.

“Vote for McClain!” shouts the driver of the SUV, a woman.

She hits her car horn with a closed fist; hits it one, two, three times.

“Come on, guys, we need to get out there and vote for McCain!”

The car wheels squeal and the woman guns it.

“You idiot,” someone cries after the departing vehicle. “If you wanted to tell me to vote for McCain, at least get the guy’s name right!”