Alex Blanco

Businessman Jose Sandoval, who has run as a Republican for State Assembly and U.S. Congress and as a candidate in a 2008 non-partisan special election for Mayor of Passaic, is days away from switching parties and becoming a Democrat. 

Sandoval had arranged a news conference to announce his party switch with John Currie, the Passaic County Democratic Chairman.  But because Sandoval is expected to endorse Vincent Capuana for Mayor in the May election against incumbent Alex Blanco, some Democratic leaders - most notably Assemblyman/Passaic City Councilman Gary Schaer, are asking Currie not to participate.

Jose Sandoval

PASSAIC – Real estate developer Jose Sandoval officially withdrew as a candidate for mayor yesterday in the lead-up to May nonpartisan elections, according to his campaign spokesperson Linda Ellerbee.

City Clerk Amada Curling confirmed the news a half an hour before her scheduled ballot position draw at City Hall.

The names of two men will be on pieces of paper at that noon drawing: incumbent Mayor Alex Blanco and city supervisor Vincent Capuana, who came in first and second respectively in a November special election to succeed jailed former Mayor Sammy Rivera.

Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco

Having vanquished a field of four other men in last November’s special election, Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco appears to have strengthened his position heading into the May 12th municipal election where he hopes to secure a full, four-year term.

If Blanco wants to continue as mayor in the aftermath of the jailed Sammy Rivera era, he will have to once again beat second-place finisher Vincent Capuana, the city super committed to making up his 203-vote deficit (3,859 to 3,656 votes) this time with the backing of Councilman Joe Garcia.

Garcia was 2008’s fourth-place finisher in the special mayoral election with 2,684 votes, and this year seeks reelection to the council.

The fusion of Capuana’s and Garcia’s troops on its face looks formidable – but in a small turnout election may be more than offset by Blanco’s ongoing alliance with Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic). 

State Sen. Kevin O'Toole (R-Cedar Grove)

Insiders lay out several battlefields this year, and Republican or Democrat, it’s not two or three gulps of beer into a conversation before they spill the strategic terrain of the coming legislative contests.

The Democrats will put money into 1 to defend their incumbents there, and they will try to take down the Republican incumbents in 2. They’ll play in 8 again largely as a diversionary tactic, defend in 14 and – and this is big - heavily fortify 36, where the GOP last time came within 2,400 votes of stripping the Dems of a seat.

Representatives in both parties usually mention the last of these prospective showdowns as the most meaningful, a potential north Jersey version of the 12th District Karcher-Beck war in 2007, where both parties will likely lay down their heaviest barrage.

For the moment, Democrats feel they have some GOP civil war drama on their side, and are gleefully inclined to let the Republican body count mount at this fractious tri-county, multi-ego crossroads of Passaic, Bergen and Essex, before they get in and scrap in earnest to protect Assemblyman Fred Scalera (D-Nutley) and Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic).

Better to let the other side give itself a good going over before taking casualties. That’s the attitude.

Angel Laboy

PASSAIC - When Angel Laboy lost his city council bid last year to Ken Lucianin by 24 votes, he said he would probably come back this year, and time’s proved him right. 

Laboy, a public school vice principal, is holding a fundraiser on Jan. 15th in which he hopes to lay the groundwork for what he believes will be about a $5,000-$6,000 race for council. 

“I would like to run alone,” he said. “I have been approached to run on a ticket with several of the mayoral candidates, and I’m not ruling it out, but I’m leaning against it.”

School Board President Vincent Capuana

PASSAIC – The campaign season never ends in Passaic, or at least it feels that way as newly elected Mayor Alex Blanco will likely have to face at least two challengers he already vanquished in the November special election to succeed the disgraced Sammy Rivera. 

Both city supervisor/School Board President Vincent Capuana and real estate developer Jose Sandoval show no signs of loosening the reins on their respective campaigns. 

Next year the contest will be for a full, four year term. It was in the spirit then of ongoing rivalry that Blanco’s people wondered why Capuana never filed a final 2008 report with the New Jersey Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC).

The New Jersey Board of Agriculture -- seven men and one woman, all white -- will pick the state's new Secretary of Agriculture when Charles Kuperus retires at the end of the year.

The workers toiling in New Jersey's fields around Vineland are mostly Mexican, and because of that fact, Mayor Bob Romano acknowledges it might help to have a Latino serve as Secretary of Agriculture.

"I think it would be great idea," Romano said in response to the question, "as long as the person has the knowledge. You need somebody who's qualified. That's the main thing. We need someone who's going to be a strong advocate for keeping New Jersey farmers on their farms."

Acknowledging that many migrant workers in New Jersey come from Mexico and Central America, Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) jumped at the suggestion of a Latino state Secretary of Agriculture to succeed Charles Kuperus, who retires at the end of this month.

"I think a Latino would be very good for that position," said the veteran Newark senator.  "I'm sure New Jersey farmers understand the need to bring balance to that position. Diversity is our greatest strength, coupled with a candidate who would bring objectivity to the job."

However, state Board of Agriculture Vice President Robert Matarazzo says the Department of Agriculture - salvaged from the budget chopping block last year - remains in precarious shape in bad economic times. He doesn't see the recruitment of a Latino secretary, or anything else short of industry survival - as a priority.

John Currie supervising the provisional ballot count.

PATERSON - Passaic County Chairman of the Board of Elections John Currie - who also serves as chairman of the Democratic Party -  supervises the provisional ballot count here in a third floor jury room at the Passaic County offices in downtown Paterson.

Head-to-head in this Passaic City Council contest are Vice Principal Angel Laboy and former School Board member Kenneth Lucianan.

At last count, Lucianin led Laboy by 103 votes.

Laboy observes the ballot count while Lucianin waits in a secure location for the results.

As soon as this count is done and the winner certified, the results of the mayor’s race will also get the county’s official imprimatur.

Sources in the City of Passaic say real estate developer Jose Sandoval is gathering forces to launch another run for mayor.

That makes Sandoval the second unsuccessful candidate in the Nov. 4th special election who's already gearing up for next year's May contest to secure a full, four-year term.

City supervisor Vinny Capuana never shut down his downtown campaign headquarters.

Capuana and Sandoval came in second and third respectively behind physician Alex Blanco.

City Councilman Joe Garcia and bail bondsman Carl Ellen came in fourth and fifth, and sources say both men are the objects of the remaining candidates' efforts to bring them and their constituents on board for the 2009 grudge match.

Gearing up at Capuana HQ.

PASSAIC - It stands right across from City Hall, and although he came up 400 votes short in last week's mayoral election, sources close to Vinny Capuana say his headquarters isn't going anywhere.

It will remain open and active.

There is a mayor's race next year, after all.

As mayor, Capuana's conqueror, Alex Blanco, will enjoy the advantage of incumbency in next year's mayoral contest for a full, four-year term.

But both Blanco and Capuana are trying to secure the backing of those other contestants in last week's race to fill the unexpired term of Sammy Rivera: real estate developer Jose Sandoval, City Councilman Joe Garcia, and bail bondsman Carl Ellen.