Nakia White

Central Ward Councilman Charles Bell

City Hall sources confirmed today that not only is Central Ward Councilman Charles Bell a done deal as Mayor Cory Booker's Central Ward candidate, but that Booker protege Nakia J. White will serve as Bell's chief-of-staff.

A victor in a special 2008 election to fill the unexpired term of ousted Councilwoman Dana Rone, Bell is telling his allies he's ready to run for a full, four-year term, and now he has Booker in his corner.

After losing her Central Ward bid to Bell last year, White ran for a School Board seat this spring and won. 

The death of Dwight Brown, Bell's chief of staff, earlier this summer created the key opening at his soffice which sources say White is poised to fill.

As late as this week, White was pondering her options and considering challenging Bell for the Central Ward council seat. Her name remains on the Booker Team's state Elections Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) filing as the mayor's Central Ward candidate, but Booker put her there simply as a placeholder while he and his operatives hammered out the deal with Bell, sources say.

Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex)

The unlikely political tag team of state Sen. Ronald L. Rice (D-Essex) and North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato that felled Mayor Cory Booker’s candidate in the Central Ward on Tuesday called for Obama-spirit healing in the city in the aftermath.

“I respect him as the mayor,” Adubato said of Booker. “I predict things are going to get better. Let’s face it; this Obama victory yesterday means anything is possible. We have a lot of hope about America.

“I take that win by Obama in a country where 15 percent of America is black, and say if he can be president, why can’t we all work together? “