Manny Segura

Mercer County Freeholder Keith V. Hamilton

Even as the gubernatorial battle absorbs attention now and for the duration, next year's Trenton mayoral election looms as one of the more interesting contests of 2010.

In the shuffle of people intent on succeeding 20-year retiring Mayor Douglas Palmer, stands Mercer County Freeholder Keith V. Hamilton, who's built name identification as a 14-year member of the board.

He hasn't yet formally announced, but the Trenton native who raised his family in neighboring Hamilton Township and moved back to Trenton two years ago, is ready to spring into campaign mode after the resolution of the governor's race.

"I'm keeping my powder dry at the moment but I intend to run, yes," Hamilton told PolitickerNJ.com at a Democratic Party fundraiser tonight at Padrino's in Hamilton Township.

State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), center, campaigns with Trenton Councilman Manny Segura and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Eliabeth) at the annual Dominican Parade in Elizabeth.

ELIZABETH - State Sen. Loretta Weinberg (D-Teaneck), the Democrats' candidate for lieutenant governor, walked the entirety of a long parade route as grand marshal of the Dominican Festival, a colorful, merengue-textured event that today was marred by violence.  

"There are always going to be some knuckleheads out there," said Paterson At-Large Councilman Rigo Rodriguez.

The incident - not connected to the campaign - occurred a few minutes after Weinberg criticized Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Christie for failing to disclose his $46,000 mortgage loan to U.S. Attorney underling Michele Brown.

"He forgot that he's receiving $500 a month?" wondered Gov. Jon Corzine's running mate, who capped a weekend of Latino outreach with this Dominican spectacle.

It got rough once Weinberg climbed into a car and departed after completing the parade on foot with Assemblywoman Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), and Trenton Councilman Manny Segura.

Former Freeholder Tony Mack

In the lead-up to what looks like the end of the 20-year era of Mayor Doug Palmer in Trenton, Tony Mack measures his words carefully.

Yes, he established a Facebook group over the weekend called "Make it Better, Make it Mack for Mayor," but he won't say in a phone converstion whether he's definitely running.

That's because he can't risk a third loss to Palmer, who defeated Mack in 2006, then punished him last year by quietly working within the party structure to deny Mack the Democratic Party line when he ran for reelection as a Mercer County Freeholder.

Now sources say Palmer's done - not because of any threat but because at 58 he's ready to retire from public life.

The mayor won't confirm it, as sources say the former national chairman of mayors and West Street standard bearer doesn't want to spend the rest of his term relegated to lame duck status.

Dominicans and allies celebrated Dr. Alex Blanco’s victory in the Passaic mayoral race last week as a first in the annals of American politics. As far as they know, he’s the first Dominican elected mayor in the United States.

“There’s an assemblyman in New York, but concerning mayors, none,” said Blanco, a product of the Passaic public school system who earned college and medical degrees locally and works in the city as a podiatrist.

“I was shocked when I found out I was the first,” added the mayor-elect, who figures to be sworn into office before the end of November.