kenneth balut

While South Amboy Mayor John O'Leary battles to prove he's done nothing wrong, the Middlesex County Democratic Party has made moves to replace him as a 19th Legislative District Assembly candidate --  just in case his efforts prove futile.
 
The state Attorney General's Office is reportedly investigating work with area towns by O'Leary's insurance brokerage firm, and work allegedly performed in South Amboy by the Baltimore-based insurance company Federal Hill Risk Management.  O'Leary has denied that the firm has any affiliation with the one he operates with his brother.

A replacement candidate for three term incumbent Joseph Vas (D-Perth Amboy), who backed out of running for re-election amid federal and state corruption indictments, O'Leary received a subpoena last week - the result of an anonymous letter circulating in the district, which charges the 23-year mayor with abusing his office.

Insisting he's innocent, O'Leary has vowed to weather the bad news cycle and to clear his name. But sources close to party leaders say the Democrats don't want a firestorm in a safe Democratic district. Some Democrats want O'Leary to withdraw, an outcome that to some could prove fortuitous, given the early demands and subsequent frustration of the powerful Latino Leadership Alliance (LLA).

"I don't know the particulars about the O'Leary situation, but I have spoken in the past with (Middlesex County) Democratic Party Chairman Joe Spicuzzo indicating to him the importance of replacing Joe Vas with another Latino," said Martin Perez, the alliance's founder and executive director.

That didn't happen when the party nominated O'Leary without a challenge.
 
For the moment, "Mayor O'Leary maintains he hasn't done anything wrong, and right now there is no reason to believe he's going to get out of the race," said Spicuzzo. "He's talking it over with family and friends, but he maintains that he is in the race."

When Vas's re-election candidacy went belly up with the impact of corruption charges earlier this year, his conqueror in last year's mayoral race, Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, faced the prospect of working with party leaders to select a successor to Vas from the district's second most populous town.

Insiders, including members of the LLA, told Diaz to field a Latino candidate from Perth Amboy, but the new mayor instead backed cross-the-river veteran O'Leary.

Now sources say Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Mathias Rodriguez is interested in running - in the event that O'Leary abandons his candidacy, and party leaders like him. Read More >

Perth Amboy Councilman Ken Balut's campaign for the Democratic nomination for Governor was substantially shorter than Bob Torricelli's twelve day gubernatorial campaign in 2001.  Credit for Balut's speedy exit goes to Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, who met with Balut soon after the he indicated his desire to mount a primary challenge to Jon Corzine, and asked him not to do it.  Since Diaz won an upset victory in the 2008 mayoral race, toppling 18-year incumbent Joseph Vas, she has been viewed as a rising star in state Democratic politics.  Diaz is sure to have earned huge points for her role. 

 

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Former Glen Ridge Mayor Carl Bergmanson says he wants to challenge Gov. Jon Corzine and expects to enter the race for the Democratic nomination for Governor within the next few weeks. 

"The Corzine Administration has been a complete failure at every level, and if Democrats don't stand up now and demand better leadership, we're dooming the state to either a Republican Governor in 2010, or four more years of Jon Corzine's incompetence," Bergmanson told PolitickerNJ.com. 

Bergmanson was elected to the Glen Ridge Council as an Independent in 1990.  He gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for Mayor in 1999, but returned and won election as Mayor in 2003.  He didn't run again in 2007, but instead discussed a possible campaign to recall Corzine.  He launched his exploratory committee on January 12 and says "the reception thus far has been completely positive."

"Barring some unforeseen circumstance, I will be announcing my candidacy for the Democratic Nomination for Governor within the next two weeks," Bergmanson said.

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There is no sign that Perth Amboy Councilman Kenneth Balut can do any better against Jon Corzine in the Democratic gubernatorial primary than the six percent that Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello won in his campaign for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination against Frank Lautenberg last year.  Balut will have a hard time qualifying for public financing, and even if he did - which he won't - Corzine would not be compelled to debate him since Corzine is not accepting public funds for his re-election campaign.

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There is some speculation that Perth Amboy Councilman Kenneth Balut is mulling a challenge to Jon Corzine in the June Democratic gubernatorial primary.  Balut, a longtime rival of Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas, was elected to the Council last year on a slate headed by Wilda Diaz, who ousted Vas by a wide margin.  He is a former PBA President and state PBA Delegate. 

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