Phil Thigpen

Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen, State Party Chairman Joe Cryan, and Corzine political director Phil Alagia

WEST ORANGE - Even though Governor Jon Corzine and the Democrats don’t want primaries sapping their general election year strength, Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen says former Assemblyman Craig Stanley’s off-the-line challenge of Democratic incumbents won’t boomerang organizationally on his more famous congressman uncle, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-Newark).

“Don’t mess with Congressman Payne,” said Thigpen. “There is no end to the lengths to which I will go to protect him.”

Everybody has an opportunity to run for office if they have an interest, said Thigpen, and there’s no way he could stop Stanley from running – even if he can’t give him the party line.  

This afternoon, with his uncle, former Assemblyman Bill Payne, and his cousin, Freeholder/Councilman Donald Payne Jr. in attendance, Stanley officially announced his candidacy for the Assembly in the 28th District.

The Governor in Essex on Wednesday evening.

WEST ORANGE – The Governor of New Jersey usually doesn’t wait long to address a collective of his own party, but this being Essex in a gubernatorial election year, the governor stayed on ice during a drum roll ceremony that was as much a buildup of Essex as it was a buildup to Gov. Jon Corzine.

Corzine didn’t appear to mind – and with reason.

“Barack Obama won nearly 250,000 votes in Essex last year,” the governor roared when he finally took the microphone. “If you give me 250,000 votes, this election’s signed, sealed and delivered” – a reference to the Stevie Wonder anthem a deejay played to introduce Corzine, subliminally strengthening the governor’s linkage to Obama, who  favored the song last year on the campaign trail.

The all-day buzz was that this Essex County Democratic Convention would present the unmistakable photo op of former Gov./Senate President Richard Codey (D-West Orange) and Corzine onstage together, arms raised in a ceremonial show of solidarity as the blockbuster credits rolled. 

Essex County Democratic Party Chairman Phil Thigpen

As expected, Essex County Democratic Committee Chairman Phil Thigpen awarded the line in the 28th District to the incumbents: Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Belleville) and Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (D-Newark), according to party sources close to the chairman.

Insiders had said as recently as yesterday that the chairman would decide accordingly, in spite of attempts by former Assemblyman Craig Stanley (D-Newark) to secure the party’s backing. 

Stanley could not immediately be reached for comment.

From left: U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Sen Ronald Rice, Andre Reames, Bill Payne, Freeholder/Councilman Donald Payne, Jr., and Craig Stanley

NEWARK – Democratic Party stronghold Essex was supposed to be quiet this season as Newark and the environs reflect on a North Ward-City Hall lovefest and prepare for the reelection campaign of Gov Jon Corzine. 

Now the Payne family appears mobilized on the primary horizon here in the 28th District and potentially in the 29th, though insiders say it's unlikely they will be able to escalate a fullscale battle, even if they choose to fight.

After getting bumped out of office by an Adubato-Booker alliance in 2007, family scion former Assemblyman Craig Stanley (D-Irvington) is trying to scratch his way back into the legislature and finding little organizational support in the process with two weeks to go before the April 6th state filing deadline.

Essex sources on all sides say there’s little or no chance Chairman Phil Thigpen will award the District 28 party line to Stanley over incumbents Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Belleville) and Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker (D-Newark) - not in a gubernatorial election year when an unpopular Corzine faces more than a warm body challenge from the Republican Party, and party chieftains are intent on trying to keep his troops in line. 

Thigpen himself is cryptic on the Stanley issue.

Adrianne Davis: Politicker photo 

NEWARK - Newly retired from her nearly 20-year career as clerk of the Essex County Freeholder Board, Adrianne Davis this month assumed her role as executive director of the North Ward Center.

It’s a return to her roots for the member of the 1963 Newark Teachers’ Union, who coordinated buses that carried activists to Washington, D.C. to hear Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., deliver his "I Have a Dream" speech.

The former high school teacher helped found the North Ward Center in 1970 with her friend and fellow teacher, Steve Adubato.

"What Steve sought to do was stabilize the North Ward with programs that served the Italian population that lived here," said Davis, a native of the West Ward, who ran the early secretarial training program and worked as the North Ward Center’s administrator.

WEST ORANGE - Essex County Democratic Party Chairman Phil Thigpen, Gov. Jon Corzine and fellow party members huddled up in Pal’s Cabin this morning in a show of party unity as Team Essex heads into Denver in support of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il).

This is the second time in as many weeks that Corzine has gone to Pal’s to help focus party members on getting Obama elected president. Last week the governor met with members of the Group, the chief fundraising arm for Sen. Hillary Clinton, which is now committed to Obama.

"This one was much more about elected officials and the county party apparatus," said Mark Alexander, senior advisor for the Obama campaign. "There were town chairmen and women, all showing the unity of Obama and Clinton. This was about creating a unified force in the party."

Gov. Jon Corzine on Monday evening in Essex with freeholders Blonnie Watson, left, and Carol Clark.: Politicker photo 

The paneled surroundings of Pal’s Cabin have turned rancor to languor in the case of many an Essex County political rivalry, enabling the likes of North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato, for example, to occupy the same friendly booth as his old political foe, Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex).

So it’s unsurprising that neither Democratic Party fundraiser John Graham, a former Hillary Clinton supporter, nor Obama Campaign policy director Mark Alexander decided to convene in Pal’s for their continuing discussions about statewide campaign fundraising.

On Tuesday, they intend to meet in the West Orange watering hole with Gov. Jon Corzine between them. Alexander’s hoping the history Corzine has with Obama (they go back to Obama’s Senate primary campaign) will help him focus Graham and Graham’s allies.

Mayor Robert Bowser: Politicker photo 

Having already spread the word unofficially that he plans to pursue a fourth term in 2009, East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser tonight told PolitickerNJ.com that he's certain.

"100% sure," said Bowser, who emceed tonight's Essex County Democratic Committe party in Short Hills. "Make that 105% sure."

At the beginning of the summer, the three-term mayor and engineer by profession who has spear-headed East Orange's redevelopment, said he was about 70% certain he's running for re-election.

Word had started leaking out last spring that Bowser intended to go for a fourth term, but a potential opening as Essex County Democratic Committee chairman kept Bowser hedging for several weeks.

East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser says he’s 70% certain he will East Orange Mayor Robert L. Bowserpursue a fourth term in next year’s election.

“It’s early, but there are still a lot of things we need to do here,” said Bowser, who has led the redevelopment of his Essex County city over the past 11 years.

Former Assemblyman Willis Edwards - an ally of East Orange Democratic Party leader Leroy Jones - has expressed an interest in taking on the 74-year old incumbent.

“I saw that,” said Bowser, referring to news of the potential challenge. The mayor doesn’t seem concerned.