Sharpe James

The filing deadline for the May 9, 2006 Municipal Elections is March 16th.

Bayonne: Mayor Joseph Doria, a State Senator, is being challenged by attorney Vincent Militello, who ran for State Senator against Glenn Cunningham and L. Harvey Smith in the 2003 Democratic primary. Militello, who finished third, was viewed as the spoiler for the Hudson County Democratic Organization in that race -- which cost Doria his Assembly seat. Doria easily defeated former Mayor Richard Rutkowski in 2002, and incumbent Mayor Leonard Kiczek in 1998.

Belleville: Mayor Gerald Digori faces former Township Manager Raymond Kimble. Councilwoman Marie Strumolo Burke, the Democratic Municipal Chairman, is reportedly considering a bid for Mayor. Digori is also a Democrat; he defeated incumbent Angelina Paserchia, who was part of Richard Yanuzzi's then-powerful local GOP machine, in 2002.

Gloucester Township: Mayor Sandra Love is not seeking re-election. Love has served as Mayor since 1994, when she took office following the death of her sister-in-law, Ann Mullen.

Irvington: Mayor Wayne Smith was elected in 2002, defeating Assemblyman Craig Stanley and Councilwoman Sandra Harte after the incumbent, Sara Bost, was convicted on federal corruption charges. Harte is challenging Smith again this May.

Jackson: Jackson Township voted to change their form of government last November to a strong Mayor and a five-member Council elected At-Large elected in non-partisan elections. There are more than two dozen candidates in the mix, many of whom want to be Mayor. Unless a coalition emerges, there is a possibility of a wildly competitive contest this fall. Republicans won 3-2 control the town in 2005, but Councilman Joshua Reilly, saying he wanted to become independent of party bosses, switched from the GOP to Independent in January -- less than two months after winning re-election. The Mayor is Democrat Sean Giblin.

Long Branch: Mayor Adam Schneider is seeking re-election to a fifth term with the same council office slate that has held office with him since 1990. Schneider, a Democrat, has managed to surmount several failed efforts by Congressman Frank Pallone to unseat him, including a difficult election in 1994 when Pallone ran his brother against Schneider.

Manchester: Mayor Michael Fressola is seeking re-election and does not yet have an opponent.

Newark: All eyes are on Mayor Sharpe James, who has not yet announced whether he will seek re-election to a sixth term. Former City Councilman Cory Booker has not stopped running since he nearly ousted James four years ago. If James doesn't run, possible candidates include State Senator Ronald Rice, Sr. and Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo. Also running is David Blount, the President of the University Heights Science Park Residents Association.

Ocean City: Mayor Bud Knight is retiring after fourteen years in office. Councilmen Jody Alessandrine, who nearly defeated Knight in 2002, is running again, along with Councilman Frank McCall and Salvatore Perillo, a former Atlantic County Counsel and Newark Corporation Counsel.

Paterson: Mayor Joey Torres became the city's first Latino Mayor in 2002, when he defeated incumbent Martin Barnes. Barnes had been under indictment for on charges that he accepted expensive gifts, luxurious vacations and female companionship from city vendors; he was released from federal prison last Friday. Former Police Chief James Spagnola and Rev. James Kuykendall are challenging Torres.

Stafford: Mayor Carl Block, who is also the Ocean County Clerk, is a lock for re-election. He has no opposition, although his longtime rival, former Mayor Wesley Bell, could always run. Bell has become a perennial candidate in recent years; he ran as an Independent for Governor in 2005.

Trenton: Mayor Douglas Palmer faces Mercer County Freeholder Tony Mack, John Harmon, the President of the Metropolitan Trenton African American Chamber of Commerce, and candlemaker Frank Weeden.

West Orange: Incumbent John McKeon, a Democratic State Assemblyman, has only one opponent, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission: Councilman John Skarbnik. But Skarbnik, the West Orange Democratic Municipal Chairman, may have only filed a mayoral campaign committee in case McKeon does not seek re-election. One of the stakeholders in this race is Senate President Richard Codey, a strong McKeon ally who served as Deputy Mayor of West Orange under McKeon while he was serving as Governor last year.

State Senator Ronald Rice is reportedly considering a bid for Newark City Councilman-At-Large, a campaign that could pit him against his son, Ronald Rice, Jr., who is running for the City Council on a slate headed by mayoral candidate Cory Booker. These days, Rice is aligned with Sharpe James, whom he opposed when he gave up his West Ward Council seat to run for Mayor in 1998.

JAMES PRAISES CORZINE WITH QUALIFICATION

TRENTON - Senator Sharpe James, D-Essex, today praised Governor Corzine's Inaugural remarks, but said he would have added that, "A majority of the men and women of the Senate and Assembly already agree with his hue and cry for reform and do not deserve to be painted with the same brush of mismanagement, neglect and being concerned only about re-election."

Democrats say that the selection of a 65-year-old school librarian to represent Essex County in the State Assembly may be a short-term solution following the resignation of Evelyn Williams this week. Oadline Truitt, who has spent thirty years as a Democratic District Leader in Newark's South Ward, will enter the Legislature this month without any guarantees of serving more than ten months in the seat initially left vacant following the October death of Donald Tucker. Essex County Democrats must decide in April whether they will back her in a November Special Election to fill a fourteen-month term. Truitt's political future could be tied to the electoral successes of her longtime ally, Newark Mayor (and former South Ward Councilman) Sharpe James.

Former Newark Deputy Mayor Evelyn Williams was sworn in today as the new Assemblywoman from the 28th district, taking the seat held by the late Donald Tucker. Williams briefly addressed the Assembly after taking the oath; among those she thanked was Jackie Mattison, who had served in the Assembly until his 1997 bribery conviction Mattison, who was Chief of Staff to Sharpe James, had over $150,000 in cash hidden under the floorboards of his home. Mattison (aka Federal Prisoner #19139-050) served nearly three years in a federal prison.

A rumor making the rounds over the last 48 hours is that former Newark Councilman Cory Booker is under consideration for an appointment to the United States Senate seat. Several Democratic insiders say the scenario makes sense: Jon Corzine makes history by appointing the state's first African American United States Senator -- a 36-year-old reformer and Rhodes Scholar -- and maybe helps Sharpe James avoid a rematch with Booker in the 2006 race for Mayor.

Essex County is the King of Democratic Counties. Just look at the '01 results, when it accounted for 40 percent of Jim McGreevey's statewide plurality:

Jim McGreevey (D) 129,406
Bret Schundler (R) 48,540

There's been some concern among Democrats that Newark Mayor Sharpe James may cause trouble for Corzine, although there are signs the two men have patched things up. Phil Alagia, the chief of staff to County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, sent the following dispatch from the field:

"Things are going great in Essex. We have nearly 2500 Corzine supporters on the street focusing on getting the Democratic vote out. Turnout seems to be strong. Very impressed from all the support we are getting from labor. Every part of the Democratic Party in Essex County has come to support Joe D. and (county Democratic chairman) Phil Thigpen to get the vote out for Jon Corzine."

Forrester Highlights New Abuses at Newark Hockey Arena
On Morning of Groundbreaking, Reiterates Call for Halting the Project

Gubernatorial nominee Doug Forrester today stood with a number of Newark community leaders and local parents to reiterate his call for Governor Codey to halt the building of the Newark Hockey Arena. Newark Mayor Sharpe James held a groundbreaking ceremony at the Arena today.

Corzine Won't Stand Up to James on Newark Arena
Party Boss's pet project is moving forward