Jose Sandoval

PASSAIC - Jose Sandoval, a candidate for mayor in Passaic, says he wants himself and the other four candidates in the race to debate at least three times between now and Nov. 4th.

"It's very important that we have debates so that the voters can compare our ideas and our record," he said.

No debates are scheduled at this time, although PassaicJews.com confirmed to PolitickerNJ.com that all five candidates will allow Passaic residents to ask them questions in a chat room on Sunday, September 28.

A real estate developer, Sandoval is competing with physician Alex Blanco, city supervisor Vincent Capuana, Councilman Joe Garcia, and bailbondsman Carl Ellen. 

School Board member Dr. Alex Blanco: Politicker photo 

PASSAIC - Just over a week ago he was somewhere in the middle of a crowded pack, barely distinguishable among the other contestants running for mayor. But from the standpoint of the Latino vote, which constitutes a little over 50 percent of the Passaic electorate, Councilman Joe Garcia’s the man right now.

At first it looked as though there were going to be three Puerto Rican candidates in the race: Ritzy Morales, Maritza Colon-Montanez and Garcia.

Then Morales dropped out on filing day, and two days later, Colon-Montanez aborted her own campaign and threw her support to Garcia.

That hit hard two men in the rest of the five-man field: Jose Sandoval and Alex Blanco.

The Dominican candidates won’t admit that the sudden moves by the Puerto Ricans produced any impact on the contest. Ask them about Morales and Colon-Montanez and they smile and shrug. No big deal. They weren’t going to do much anyway.

In ten years, Roland Straten went from being Bill Pascrell's contributor to his opponent
When news broke that Republican Roland Straten would run for the 8th  Congressional District seat, Straten got a call from his old acquaintance and new opponent, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson).

According to Straten’s recollection, the exchange went something like this:

Pascrell: “Rollie, are you mad at me?”

Straten: “Bill, no.”

Pascrell: “Why are you running against me?”

Straten: “I don’t agree with your votes and your policies.’

Pascrell: “Then I’m going to beat your tail.” 

If Straten’s campaign turns out like those of Pascrell’s five previous challengers, then Pascrell probably will beat his tail. Since Pascrell narrowly unseated Republican Bill Martini in 1996, no Republican has gotten more than 35 percent of the vote against him.  Last year, Republican Jose Sandoval only got 28 percent to Pascrell’s 71 percent.

Acting Mayor/Assemblyman Gary Schaer: Politicker file photo 

He’s the man everyone’s watching, in part because his ties are deep and solid with the powerful Orthodox Jewish vote in Passaic, but at least for now, Assemblyman/Acting Mayor Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) said he is not prepared to make an endorsement in the race for mayor.

Sources say Schaer is close to School Board President Alex Blanco, a physician, who in addition to his own Dominican base has good ties to the Democratic Party and to other long-established families in Passaic.

But the acting mayor insisted he’s not ready to commit jut yet.

"I’ve seen a lot of posters and bumper stickers, but I have not heard any plans," said Schaer. "What are their plans? What is their vision to put Passaic on the right track? I’m not hearing that from the candidates, and I need to hear that.

On the day of the filing deadline for the office of mayor of Passaic, five candidates have already submitted their petitions to the Clerk’s Office.

The candidates are physician Alex Blanco, city supervisor Vincent Capuana, Councilwoman Maritza Colon-Montanez, Councilman Joe Garcia and realtor Jose Sandoval.

Two other potential candidates - Ritzy Morales, who works for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), and bail bondsman Carl Ellen - have not yet submitted petitions.

The candidates vying for mayor in the Nov. 4th special election hope to succeed former Mayor Sammy Rivera, who earlier this year was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison on corruption charges.

Ritzy Morales of Passaic: Politicker photo 

DENVER - You can’t stray far from New Jersey’s ward politics here, not if you’re at the Hotel Inverness, where Ritzy Morales told PolitickerNJ.com that she definitely intends to run for mayor of Passaic.

A longtime director of constituent services for U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), Morales, 41, said she plans to submit 700 petitions to the municipal clerk in advance of the Sept. 12th filing deadline, and expects to have at least 400-500 of them certified to earn well over the required 200.

"The public has known me for a long time," said Morales, born in Paterson and a resident of Passaic for ten years. "I have strong values, and I wouldn’t even accept a cup of coffee from someone as mayor, because of the negativity left by Sammy Rivera. I would definitely stop corruption."

Acting Mayor/Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic): Politicker photo 

PASSAIC - To be in Trenton, or not to be in Trenton, that is the question for Assemblyman Gary Schaer (D-Passaic), who became the acting mayor of Passaic in May when a federal judge found Mayor Sammy Rivera guilty of corruption.

Initially, Schaer, who received the chief executive’s job by virtue of his position as council president, figured he would serve long enough to hand off to whoever wins a Nov. 4th special election.

But about three weeks into his service as acting mayor - with no stunning personality on the city’s horizon line, by his reckoning - Schaer began mulling the idea of pursuing his own mayoral run. 

"We can’t afford to have a mayor who’s not going to build on some of the positive things we’re doing," said Schaer, who implemented local ethics reforms, imposed a 37% cut to the mayoral salary (from $117,000 to $72,000), and a municipal hiring freeze.

When a fire started by two children devoured the industrial base of the City of Passaic in 1984, Vincent Capuana remembers trying to summon some good during the aftermath.

"I thought, ‘Thank God nobody got killed, and now we have 25 acres open, which we can develop,’" he says.

That was almost 25 years ago, and all Passaic has to show for its rebuilding effort along the river are a Shoprite and a handful of small, scattered stores.

"Fifteen acres are still empty," says Capuana, 59, longtime director of community development, and president of the school board.

Jose Sandoval of Passaic City 

PASSAIC - In a room just off Passaic Avenue with the ceiling fan spinning down on about 30 people in early summer, Jose Sandoval starts with the Lord’s Prayer, then goes into his attack plan for the Nov. 4th special election.

Although he’s never held elected office, Sandoval’s been through this drill before, having run unsuccessfully for the Assembly against Gary Schaer in 2005 and the U.S. Congress a year later against U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8). 

A 55-year old Republican real estate developer and family man who owns three huge properties in the scandal-ridden city’s upscale section, he looks like a sharply dressed man of the people as he stands in front of a colorful banner with one word bigger than the rest: "Sandoval."

It’s four months before the election to fill the unexpired term of convicted former Mayor Sammy Rivera, and Sandoval’s talking strategy. He’s talking about getting voters registered and getting the elderly and infirm to polling places. He speaks fast and eloquently in Spanish.

FOR IMMEDIATE ATTENTION
Date: October 3, 2006
Contact: Annie Mayol/Dan Feraci
(973) 777-1352
(202) 445-8266 cell

Passaic, NJ According to the Federal Elections Commission, Bill Pascrell has strong ties with Donal Scarinci, the powerful North Jersey lawyers who was secretly recorded using Menendez's name to pressure a Hudson County psychiatrist to hire a doctor. Since 1997, Pascrell has received $11,200 from Donald Scarinci. Just last year, he received $2,000 from Scarinci.

Corruption scandals have been at the forefront of New Jersey politics, especially for Senator Bob Menendez this year. Pascrell’s campaign donations show that he too is involved with the same people that have shown to practice unethical behavior.

The voters of the 8th Congressional District are tired of corrupted politicians and business as usual. They deserve to know what is Pascrell’s relationship with Scarinci and with Dr. Oscar Sandoval, said Jose Sandoval, candidate for U.S. Congress (NJ-08). Pascrell needs to return Scarinci’s donations, they are tainted money. (Dr. Oscar Sandoval is not related to Jose Sandoval)

It is time to elect a leader that will listen to the voters and not special interest, and will fight for those that need it the most, added Sandoval. I know that the voters of 8th district want change and will vote for me this November.

Jose Sandoval is running for New Jersey’s Eight Congressional District. Jose is of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, and immigrated to the United States in the early 1970’s, where he has been a resident of New Jersey ever since. Jose has a BA in Economics and Finance from Rutgers University, and a law degree from Cleveland State University. He owns an urban real estate company in Passaic, New Jersey.

Jose and his wife, Amy, have four children.

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