Alex Blanco

Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), left, and Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco

Fighting for re-election in the 36th District, Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) said an email blast today by a constiuent urging Orthodoz Jews to vote against Gov. Jon Corzine is not representative of the community's view of the incumbent Democratic Party governor.

"(Republican) Allen Shwartz's endorsement of Chris Christie is kind of like Richard Nixon endorsing the Republican candidate," said Schaer. "Our community is not in lockstep on the governor's race. Some rabbis are backing Christie, others are supporting Corzine. As a member of the Orthodoz Jewish community I've certainly made my overtures on behalf of the governor."

Shwartz in his email panned Corzine, in part using the governor's linkage to President Barack Obama as an argument against supporting the incumbent.

"Jon Corzine’s most visible proponent for the past month has been none other than President Barack Obama," Schwartz wrote on Passaic Today. "One doesn’t have to travel for long through Passaic, Lakewood, or Teaneck to see the signs of President Obama and Governor Corzine campaigning together, arm-in-arm.

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus) joins Gov. Jon Corzine for a rally in honor of the governor this morning at Workers United Union headquarters in Newark.

NEWARK - Gov. Jon Corzine stepped up to the podium at Workers United Union headquarters to accept the endorsements of Latino elected officials even as his GOP rivals in the governor's race loosed a counter list of private sector and former elected official Latinos backing Republican candidate Chris Christie.

"Because of Jon Corzine's failures, our communities, schools and cities are suffering," said Lydia Valencia, director of the Puerto Rican Congress of New Jersey and chairwoman of Hispanics for Christie.  "We need a governor who understands the reality facing real New Jerseyans struggling to make ends meet, especially when Corzine's taxes are taking a bigger and bigger chunk of our money. I am supporting Chris because he will bring jobs to our state, help small businesses and make sure our children receive a quality education."

Alert to Christie's efforts to woo Latino voters (he has campaigned in Union City, Perth Amboy and regularly in Jersey City, and has a "Christie-Guadagno" campaign song set to salsa), Democratic elected officials closed ranks around the governor.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken); Assemblywoman Nellie Pou (D-Paterson, chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus; Paterson Mayor Jose Torres; Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco; Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz; West New York Mayor Sal Vega; state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), Newark North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos; and many others, 17 total, rallied with Corzine at union headquarters in downtown Newark while an audience of mostly SEIU workers rained praise on the incumbent governor.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) is playing a key role in a statewide effort to increase voter turnout among Latino voters for Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign.  This weekend, Menendez presided over a meeting in New Brunswick that was attended by over 200 statewide Latino leaders, including U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York), State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), Assemblywomen Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Camden) and Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) and Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, Paterson Mayor Joey Torres, and Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco.

From left: Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley), Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) (who also serves as Passaic Council president), and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), who is also Wood-Ridge's mayor.

PASSAIC - The appearance of State Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Cryan at a unity rally in Passaic two weeks ago signified the chairman's will to win in a 2-1 Democratic legislative district where the Republican opposition is especially revved up two years after coming shockingly close to victory.

"If you didn't have this dynamic duo here fighting for you - if you had two Republicans instead, let me tell you, folks, funding for the City of Passaic would be under siege," maintained Cryan. "You have two different philosophies. On the Republican side you have a gubernatorial candidate who wouldn't take federal stimulus dollars. Under GOP watch, we would have cut children's health insurance."

Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) and Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley) stood with state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) while they accepted the endorsement of craggy city supervisor Vinny Capuana, a Democrat who in 2008 and earlier this year ran vigorously against Schaer's local machine and lost. 

"It's a wonderful thing to stand here with this group of people coming together," said Sarlo. "Unifying the city is a wonderful thing."

PASSAIC - Standing in the midst of a melting pot audience, with Latinos, Jews and African Americans dominant in a crowd that also contained a smattering of Italians and Indians, and probably sprinklings of just about everything else given Passaic and Passaic pride, School Board member Salim Patel requested a hand for the first Dominican-American mayor in the United States.

There was clapping.

Then Mayor Alex Blanco stood, and the School No. 6 auditorium erupted.

As usual at these big ticket events here in Passaic, the mayor had top-tier love in the room in the form of Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), who both backed Blanco for mayor earlier this year.  

"If you truly love Passaic, you must help him succeed, because in his success, the people of Passaic succeed," Menendez said.

Child of immigrant parents Blanco went to the podium early, but not before Menendez spoke, wringing a laugh-line out of a setup created by the cheering section for Councilman-elect Terrance L. Love, the governing body's lone black. 

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), right, and Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco

Gov. Jon Corzine is scheduled tomorrow to swear-in Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco as the first Dominican-American elected to a full term as a mayor in the United States.

Blanco last year won a special election in Passaic to succeed jailed former Mayor Sammy Rivera.

In May, he again defeated city supervisor Vincent Capuana to earn a four-year term.

Also scheduled to attend tomorrow's ceremony in Passaic is U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), who was the featured speaker at Blanco's kick-off in April.

Former Passaic City Councilman Marcellus Jackson stumping for Vinny Capuana last year at a rally.

Two Passaic County politicians - one Democrat and one Republican - received their federal sentences today after pleading guilty to corruption charges.

Former Passaic City Councilman Marcellus Jackson received 25 months, a fine of $15,000 and three years of supervised probation for taking cash bribes totaling around $26,000 while serving on the city council.

Brown, a former School Board member and an unsuccessful candidate for the legislature against former Assemblyman Al Steele (D-Paterson), received 20 months.

Steele, incidentally, went down in the same, August 20, 2008, 11-man federal corruption sting that toppled Jackson and former Passaic Mayor Sammy Rivera, and which ultimately led investigators to Brown.

Gov. Jon Corzine addresses the crowd at Friday night's LLANJ 10th Anniversary Gala at Rutgers University.

NEW BRUNSWICK – Midway into Gov. Jon Corzine’s speech to the Latino Leadership Alliance of New Jersey (LLANJ), a powerful and expanding grassroots organization celebrating its tenth anniversary, the door flung open and former U.S. Attorney Chris Christie strode into the room. 

He took a seat.

Murmurs ensued. 

The two men had shared a stage at Newark’s North Ward Center, and now they were once again in close proximity with the potential for their general election showdown building as Corzine rattled off what he argued were his achievements of particular interest to the Latino community before a receptive crowd of LLANJ members.

Moments later, Christie would seemingly bash Corzine in his absence and make his own case for why Latinos should consider his candidacy, basing his argument in part on his record of choosing minorities for jobs at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and on his commitment to dramatic public education reform. 

Mayor Alex Blanco, right, and Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic).

PASSAIC – Mayor Alex Blanco’s victory over city supervisor Vincent Capuana last night concretized the alliance between Blanco and Assemblyman/Council President Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), as Blanco secured a full, four-year term.

After prevailing in a special election last November, Blanco beat Capuana last night, 4,988 (53.1%) to 4,409 (46.1%). Once again, the Dominican-American medical doctor depended heavily on the Orthodox Jewish community and on Schaer’s speed dial, which landed backing from Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie, financial contributions from the likes of Assemblyman Lou Greenwald (D-Camden), Assemblywoman Nellie Pou (D-Paterson) and Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and the vociferous backing and infrastructural support of Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan.

Among the post-election revelers at Blanco’s party at the Fiesta were state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge), West New York Mayor Sal Vega, and state Sen. Brian P. Stack (D-Union City), an early and steady backer of Blanco’s last year. Gov. Jon Corzine and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) also enthusiastically backed Blanco at separate, heavily attended events.

Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco has defeated his rival, city super Vincent Capuana, by a vote of 4,830 to 4,299, according to the City Clerk's Office.