Garrett Smith

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark), and Piscataway grassroots organizer Nadia Brown: Politicker photo 

ROSELLE - It’s Garrett Smith country on a Saturday.

Emptying a chair alongside the young Roselle mayor, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark) stood in front of a microphone and gave Gov. Jon Corzine props for playing a role in discovering Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il) when Corzine chaired the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Obama’s romping here in Roselle by every indication, but Payne and Obama aren’t eyeball to eyeball on everything, including last week’s Wall Street bailout.

While Obama and his Republican rival in the presidential race on Wednesday quietly supported the $700 billion measure that its critics say falls disproportionately across the shoulders of American taxpayers, Payne twice vociferously bucked the controversial bill in the House.

Today he laid out his views before a cheering crowd in Roselle’s Warinanco Park, where several hundred people gathered in support of Obama on the front-end of a Union County voter registration drive days before the Oct. 14th registration deadline.

Sources in Union County say Roselle Councilwoman Cecilia Dallas-Ricks did not muster enough support in Roselle to be a credible Democratic Party candidate and consequently will not be in nomination Tuesday night when the party votes for a successor to District 20 Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Roselle).

That sets up a showdown between Annette Quijano, assistant counsel to Gov. Jon Corzine; and Elizabeth Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-Auguste.

With Roselle out of contention, sources say Quijano is likely to summon more power-player support in a district where overall, registered Latino voters have a decided edge over African-Americans.

The governor’s assistant counsel has the backing of Union County Freeholder Director Angel Estrada and real estate agent and Hispanic party activist George Castro, both of whom retreated from their own pursuit of the vacated seat.

The front runner to succeed Neil Cohen in the 20th district State Assembly seat is Cecelia Dallis-Ricks, a Roselle Councilwoman, according to Democratic sources familiar with the special election convention. But most Union County Democratic leaders suggest that front runner status in this race could change quickly, since the only voter that really matters is State Sen. Raymond Lesniak. Lesniak has not yet endorsed a candidate, but has said he plans to support a minority candidate.

Assembly Deputy Speaker Neil Cohen resigned after state officials found child pornography on his office computer
Union County Democrats will meet next Tuesday at a special convention to elect the replacement for former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, who resigned his seat late last month after child pornography was allegedly found on one of his legislative office computers.

The replacement will be selected by the members of the county’s Democratic committee from the four towns that comprise Legislative District 20: Roselle, Elizabeth, Union Township and Kenilworth. But the endorsement by the district’s other two legislators – Assemblyman/Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan and State Sen. Ray Lesniak -- will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the committee’s decision.

Among the local political players said to be interested in the post are Roselle Councilwoman Cecelia Dallis-Ricks; Union County Freeholder Director Angel Estrada; Elizabeth Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-Auguste; Elizabeth Councilman Manny Grova; Roselle Councilman and former Cohen Chief-of-Staff Jamel Holley and Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith, who has butted heads with party leaders in the past.

ROSELLE - Now serving his second term as mayor of this Union County town of 20,000 residents, Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith threw his name into the mix today as a possible successor to Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Roselle), who resigned this morning.

"I’m definitely exploring the option of seeking that Assembly seat," Smith told PolitickerNJ.com. "I’m looking forward to having conversations with leaders of the Democratic Party."

Twice an off-the-line candidate for mayor who squeaked by in his last election by 300 votes, Smith is no darling of the Union County Democratic Party.

But he said his primary battles have been with Cohen, who was chair of the Roselle Democrats.

"He was really the person who was the issue, other than that there is no issue," said Smith. "I’m still trying to grasp the whole thing, but I’m open. I want to try to find a way for Roselle to be fully represented."

This week's Hamlet Goore Award goes to Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith, who was ticketed over the weekend for driving an unregistered, uninsured vehicle.