Union carpenter William Araujo

EDISON – When a candidate few have heard of suddenly appears in a mayoral race that features two already entrenched sides, an observer’s jaded assessment might be that such a candidate is certainly someone’s stalking horse.

But union carpenter William "Willie" Araujo says he’s just a concerned taxpaying father of two who’s doing what any citizen entrusted with this form of government would do given a chance.

“I’m running because I wanted to make a difference,” said Araujo, who recounted the classic wife and kitchen table type conservation that went, in his words, from small to serious when  he heard the question, “Why don’t you run for mayor?,” and decided it wasn’t a bad idea.

Propelled into the Democratic Primary, “I’m an honest guy,” said the 38-year old mayoral candidate, a Portuguese American who was born and raised in the Down Neck section of Newark and has raised his family in Edison.