PABLO FONSECA

PolitickerNJ.com will release our 2009 Power List of New Jersey's 100 most politically influential personalities on Tuesday, August 4. The list, first released in March 2000, is an Insiders List that includes policy makers, party leaders, fundraisers, lobbyists, labor unions, businesses, and associations and have assembled the ultimate list of New Jerseyans with clout, with an impact on politics and government in the Garden State -- everyone but elected officials and Judges.  Stay tuned!

In 2008, Atlantic City radio personality Harry Hurley was the Reader's Choice for #100.  In a two-day online poll that attracted nearly 2,900 voters, Hurley defeated Republican State Chairman Tom Wilson by a 35%-15% margin. Public Policy guru Jon Shure finished third with 12%, just narrowly leading Union County Manager George Devanney (12%). None of the other six candidates -- Cape May County GOP Chairman David Von Savage, attorney and Democratic fundraiser Victor Herlinsky, conservative political strategist Rick Shaftan, Burlington County GOP Chairman Mike Warner, and Jersey City political activists Bobby Jackson and Joe Cardwell -- finished in the double digits.

Hurley also won a 2007 Reader's Choice poll.

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Sources close to Newark Mayor Cory Booker say that Central Ward Councilman Charlie Bell - who bested Booker-backed Eddie Osborne in a November 2008 special election to replace ousted Councilwoman Dana Rone - has cut a deal to run on the Booker Team's ticket in next year's municipal elections.  The deal was reportedly negotiated a few days ago over golf between Bell, Booker's former law partner and (ex-Pittsburgh Steeler) Elnardo Webster, and campaign manager Pablo Fonseca.

This leaves only one real race in Newark next year, between South Ward Councilman Oscar James and former Councilman Ras Baraka.  Sources say Booker expects to have between $5 and $7 million by the end of the year and is committed to spend as much as necessary to ensure a South Ward victory.  James is a favorite of Booker and Webster.

The Obama Campaign today confirmed that Pablo Fonseca will serve as the campaign's political director in New Jersey.

A political veteran from Newark's North Ward, Fonseca serves as  chief of staff for Newark Mayor Cory Booker, co-chair of the Obama presidential campaign in New Jersey.

"Pablo brings an understanding of the New Jersey political landscape which will be essential to victory in November," said Andrew Poag, communications director for Obama.

Sources in the Barack Obama campaign say that veteran Newark operative Pablo Fonseca "is in the mix" to serve as political director for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Fonseca works as Newark Mayor Cory Booker's chief of staff.

Last month, the campaign selected labor leader Tricia Mueller as the campaign's state director, and Bob Decheine, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-Fair lawn), as senior advisor. 

Since last year, Booker has served as co-chair of the Obama campaign in New Jersey, along with Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. 

NEWARK - For the moment, Mayor Cory Booker stands by Central Ward Councilwoman Dana Rone, whose appeal to remain a councilwoman was struck down today by an assignment judge.

"We’re supporting Dana and we hope there’s an appeal process and that she is kept on as the central ward councilwoman," said Booker chief of staff Pablo Fonseca.

Newark sources say former School Board candidates James Bennett and Tynesha McHarris may make a play for Rone’s vacated Central Ward council seat.

But as to whether Booker is considering either of them as a replacement, Fonseca told PolitickerNJ.com, "no comment," and reiterated what he says is the mayor’s desire that Rone would prevail at the appellate state Supreme Court level.

Lionel Leach and Jackie Teel, working the phones in Clinton HQ in NewarkWhen Sen. Ronald Rice and North Ward Democratic Party boss Steve Adubato find themselves in the same political foxhole, something is either amiss, or it’s a presidential election year.

In certain company, the lead-up to Tuesday’s historic Democratic Primary contest looks like some incidental skirmish in Newark with here-today, gone-tomorrow alliances, played out as a backdrop to that more fervent chess war between local rivals angling for the real epic of some area city council and freeholder races later this year.

Lionel Leach, Rice’s former campaign field director, serves as spokesman for Sen. Hillary Clinton in her campaign’s week-and-a-half old Broad Street headquarters, even as North Ward Democratic Organization campaign firebrand Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz continues to steel the Latino vote for Clinton in rallies statewide. On the heels of his own family fight with Adubato, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne also intends to do some campaigning for Clinton this weekend.