Wilda Diaz

Perth Amboy Mayor WIlda Diaz

PERTH AMBOY - When her ally lost his bid to be the replacement Assembly candidate in the 19th Legislative District, Mayor Wilda Diaz didn't immediately back the Democratic Party ticket consisting of Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) and Woodbridge attorney Craig Coughlin.

But after more than a month of silence, she finally decided to declare her public support for them.

"I came to the conclusion a week ago to support the District 19 Democratic candidates," Diaz told PolitickerNJ.com. "The county committee fight taught me a lesson, but it's politics. The good thing is I supported my candidate until the very end."

With the backing of the Woodbridge party power base, Coughlin administered a beating to Diaz's candidate, retired Superior Court Judge Mathias Rodriguez, an early favorite to replace embattled South Amboy Mayor Jack T. O'Leary on the 19th District Democratic ticket before Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac, O'Leary, and Carteret Mayor John Reiman front-ended Coughlin in the 11th hour - along with all the county committee votes from their respective towns to scuttle Rodriguez.

State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Piscataway) today in New Brunswick.

NEW BRUNSWICK -  State Sen. Bob Smith (D-Piscataway) believes local contests will drive Democratic Party turnout in Middlesex County and improve Gov. Jon Corzine's opportunity for victory, particularly local fights in Woodbridge and New Brunswick.

"I'm on the hustings every night, and I can feel the momentum turning our way," said Smith, appearing with Corzine at an event to promote the governor's Return to Work program.

But talk to Democrats privately about the gubernatorial race and their worry inevitably runs to Middlesex, where Corzine scored 67% in the Democratic Primary, and where Republican Chris Christie signs make front lawn statements everywhere in the sprawl of blue collar towns here.

Sensing opportunity, Christie and his running mate, Kim Guadagno, campaigned avidly in Middlesex this summer, hitting the fairgrounds and street parades in places like Edison and Sayreville and generally stirring more enthusiasm for their candidate than a comparatively moribund Democratic Party effort.

Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus) joins Gov. Jon Corzine for a rally in honor of the governor this morning at Workers United Union headquarters in Newark.

NEWARK - Gov. Jon Corzine stepped up to the podium at Workers United Union headquarters to accept the endorsements of Latino elected officials even as his GOP rivals in the governor's race loosed a counter list of private sector and former elected official Latinos backing Republican candidate Chris Christie.

"Because of Jon Corzine's failures, our communities, schools and cities are suffering," said Lydia Valencia, director of the Puerto Rican Congress of New Jersey and chairwoman of Hispanics for Christie.  "We need a governor who understands the reality facing real New Jerseyans struggling to make ends meet, especially when Corzine's taxes are taking a bigger and bigger chunk of our money. I am supporting Chris because he will bring jobs to our state, help small businesses and make sure our children receive a quality education."

Alert to Christie's efforts to woo Latino voters (he has campaigned in Union City, Perth Amboy and regularly in Jersey City, and has a "Christie-Guadagno" campaign song set to salsa), Democratic elected officials closed ranks around the governor.

U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken); Assemblywoman Nellie Pou (D-Paterson, chair of the Latino Legislative Caucus; Paterson Mayor Jose Torres; Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco; Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz; West New York Mayor Sal Vega; state Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), Newark North Ward Councilman Anibal Ramos; and many others, 17 total, rallied with Corzine at union headquarters in downtown Newark while an audience of mostly SEIU workers rained praise on the incumbent governor.

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken) is playing a key role in a statewide effort to increase voter turnout among Latino voters for Gov. Jon Corzine's re-election campaign.  This weekend, Menendez presided over a meeting in New Brunswick that was attended by over 200 statewide Latino leaders, including U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York), State Sen. Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark), Assemblywomen Nilsa Cruz-Perez (D-Camden) and Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), Assemblyman Albert Coutinho (D-Newark) and Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus), Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz, Paterson Mayor Joey Torres, and Passaic Mayor Alex Blanco.

Councilwoman Toni Ricgliano

At the center of Gov. Jon Corzine's turmoil in Middlesex County stands Edison, the biggest town of 25 Middlesex towns, and home to the most registered Democrats, where for Corzine, a civil war primary has bled dangerously into the general election.

On paper - 24,579 registered Democrats to 6,012 Republicans - Edison should be a steamroll win for Democrats, but the town's 17,842 undeclared voters typically don't let mayoral contests pass without a fight. Given the unholy alliances emblematic of Edison politics, the last four general elections here have been close. Top of the ticketwise, Corzine won Edison by single digits in 2005, the same year Mayor Jun Choi pulled out a squeaker against independent Bill Stephens.

Now the fact that Choi, beaten in the June primary, 6,582 to 6,204 votes, does not intend to endorse his Democratic Party conqueror, Councilwoman Antonia "Toni" Ricigliano, creates an especially troubling wrinkle for Team Corzine, who had hoped Choi would call on his troops to unify behind the Democratic ticket and mitigate any independent voter stampede away from Corzine.

Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac, left, and state Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Woodbridge) tonight at the Forge.

WOODBRIDGE - When the doors of the Forge flung open, the two groups went in separate directions: the mostly Puerto Rican contingent from Perth Amboy headed drearily back to the bay town, while Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac, South Amboy Mayor John O'Leary, Carteret Mayor Dan Reiman and their man for the 19th District, Craig Coughlin, headed straight for the Shannon Rose Pub and a raucous celebration.

State Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Woodbridge) showed up - Coughlin's wife is his campaign treasurer. There's a bond there.

So did Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville), but the sitting 19th District lawmaker from the lower house wasn't a core circle player in this celebration of Coughlin's resounding win over retired Superior Court Judge Mathias Rodriguez and health care professional Jean Pierce tonight at a special party convention at this manor on the northbound side of Route 9.

"Craig was a great candidate with experience in all five towns and all three branches of government," said McCormac, whose county committee allies from his hometown were well-organized in getting out and providing the foundation for Coughlin's 170 winning votes, compared to 75 for Rodriguez and 25 for Pierce.

State Party Chairman Joe Cryan blew in for the hoopla, which had actually started earlier in the evening, back at the Forge, when people looked around and saw Woodbridge out in force and couldn't contain their glee. Those were going to be Coughlin votes.

Peter Kothari's float earlier this month at the Indian Independence Day Parade in Edison.

WOODBRIDGE - As Democrats continue to wage a low-grade civil war in the 19th District, Republicans Richard Piatkowski and Peter Kothari have struggled to stay in tandem and are now mutually feeling party pressure to get out of the race, depending on what happens at Wednesday's special convention, where Democrats seek a successor to embattled South Amboy Mayor John T. O'Leary.

Again they're having a hard time agreeing on a strategy.

Kothari says he would consider backing down for the good of the Republican cause, while Piatkowski says he's intent on being the candidate from Perth Amboy.

"Whatever the party wants, I can do it," said the former, when asked if he's heard rumors about the Republican Party dumping him for a candidate with potentially better name ID, strategic import and more resources to take advantage of rival party blunders.

"I will definitely consider it," the GOP Assembly candidate from Woodbridge said when asked if he could leave the contest. "My priority is getting Chris Christie elected as our next governor. We also have to reclaim the 19th District. If the party wants to put someone here it believes would make our chances more strong, then I'm ready to fight for that candidate."

Who will run with Wisniewski?

SAYREVILLE - The special Middlesex Democratic County Committee convention candidacy of former Edison Municipal Judge Craig Coughlin of Woodbridge in the 19th Legislative District received a boost this afternoon as veteran Woodbridge Councilman Charles Kenny aborted his run and threw his support to Coughlin in a maneuver apparently designed to do more than simply upset the candidacy of retired Superior Court Judge Mathias Rodriguez of Perth Amboy.

"Today I am withdrawing my name for consideration as a candidate for the 19th Legislative District Assembly seat," Kenny said. "In withdrawing my name from consideration, I offer my support and endorsement to former Edison Municipal Court Judge Craig Coughlin in his bid to represent the citizens of the 19th District."

Certainly the move makes it more difficult for Rodriguez - who's running with the backing of neophyte Perth Amboy Mayor Wilda Diaz and who at one point appeared to be the favorite - to win, despite what his allies today insisted is a stepped-up speed dial effort six days before the convention.

In what has become Coughlin versus Rodriguez, the municipal judge against the superior court judge, (Woodbridge healthcare professional Jean Pierce is also running but most Middlesex County insiders don't expect her to be a factor), Coughlin now has the decided edge, according to sources, as the three Democratic Party candidates trying to run alongside incumbent Assemblyman John Wisniewski (D-Sayreville) made their individual pitches to county committee members tonight at party headquarters.

Sources say Woodbridge Councilman Charles Kenny plans today to drop his bid to represent the Democratic Party as a candidate for the vacant 19 Legislative District seat.

Kenny and fellow Woodbridge resident Craig Coughlin, a recently retired Edison Muncipal Judge, met this morning at the office of Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac - a meeting sources say resulted in Kenny backing down from his intentions of running.

Kenny earlier this week told PolitickerNJ.com that he anticipated prevailing on Coughlin to back him so that Woodbridge could go united into next Wednesday's special convention held by the Middlesex County Democratic Organization.  

Kenny's departure leaves Coughlin - resident of the town holding the most county committee votes - retired Superior Court Judge Mathias Rodriguez of Perth Amboy, and health care professional Jean Pierce, who's also of Woodbridge but lacks Coughlin and Rodriguez's political ties.

Retired Superior Court Judge Mathias Rodriguez

PERTH AMBOY - With two candidates already run aground owing to allegations of corruption and Republicans running under the law enforcement banner of Chris Christie, retired Superior Court Judge Mathias Rodriguez said he'd be the best Democrat to complement a ticket for the Assembly in the 19th Legislative District because his integrity is "unassailable."

"One issue in this race is going to be integrity," said Rodriguez, 67, who left the bench in the middle of August, three days before an embattled South Amboy Mayor John T. O'Leary shelved his bid to succeed Assemblyman Joe Vas (D-Perth Amboy), who left behind accomplishments amid a projected $80 million plus "Vas Mahal"  in the middle of the waterfront city, a combination YMCA/police/fire/court catch-all, as he faces two handfuls of state and federal corruption charges.

"Judges don't get paid very much money," added Rodriguez, a 20-year veteran of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Rutgers Law School graduate and father of four, including a daughter who died. "We work because we want to serve, and this would be an opportunity to serve. Look at my record. Ask any attorney who knows me. We have enough laws on the books. We need well qualified moral candidates."

At least one half of the Republican ticket is already trying to chip at Rodriguez's pristine image with questions about the judge's launch pad into the special convention, which takes place next Wednesday. Rodriguez is one of four declared candidates. 

Trying to weaken Rodriguez a week before the Democratic Party contest, GOP candidate Peter Kothari of Woodbridge fired off a press release this afternoon calling on the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct to investigate if Rodriguez violated the Code of Judicial conduct when he spoke to Middlesex County Democratic Chairman (and County Sheriff) Joe Spicuzzo about politics while still serving as a judge. 

“In an admission that is shocking in light of the Democrats' mud-slinging against Chris Christie (the GOP gubernatorial candidate and former U.S. Attorney), Mr. Spicuzzo has stated that he had political discussions with ex-Judge Rodriguez when he was still sitting on the bench. ...The thought of Rodriguez wearing his robe while planning a political campaign with Spicuzzo wearing his badge and uniform attacks the very fabric and notion of an impartial court system.”