William Payne

Two Democratic Assemblymen have filed as Independent candidates for State Senate this fall, yet the remain members of the Assembly Democratic Caucus and continue to hold committee chairmanships.

William Payne filed petitions this month as a Senate candidate in the 29th district against Teresa Ruiz, the Democratic nominee. He remains a member of the leadership, as Deputy Majority Conference Leader, and is the Chairman of the Assembly Regulatory Oversight Committee and Vice Chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee.

Assemblyman Craig Stanley is not ready to admit defeat.

Stanley, the six-term Essex County Democrat who lost yesterday’s primary to Cory Booker-backed Cleopatra Tucker by just 110 votes, is mulling the possibility of a recount.

“I have not conceded yet," said Stanley.  "I believe in my heart that there is still victory here, and we’re going to pursue all of all legal avenues available.”

Democratic Assemblyman William Payne filed petitions today to run for State Senator in the 29th district as an Independent.  And former Newark City Councilwoman Bessie Walker has filed as an Independent Assembly candidate.

The filing deadline to run as an independent candidate in November's general election is at 4 PM today. So far, Democratic Assemblyman William Payne, who says he will seek the 29th district State Senate seat as an Independent, has not yet filed his petitions. Newark City Councilman Luis Quintana filed last week.

Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo makes his stand

It’s the Paynes in the South Ward, the Adubatos in the North, two old families beating each other up with politics, while a young mayor in the middle hopes to assert his own will upon this city but in the meantime must pick a side.

No one gets out of Newark without picking a side.

Right now, the Paynes control that lifeline to the federal government in the person of U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, and hold sway in the Statehouse with older brother Assemblyman William Payne and his allies.

Founder of the North Ward Cultural and Educational Center, Adubato controls the city’s vital link to the county with Joseph DiVincenzo. DiVincenzo grew up in the North Ward, and was a star quarterback turned recreation supervisor for Adubato before becoming Essex County Executive. In addition to his own North Ward, Adubato controls the largely Portugese and Hispanic East Ward.

Mayor Cory Booker has organization of his own in the mostly African-American Central Ward, where he was a community activist before running for city council. And he also has a toehold in the South. But as usual Booker’s up against old Newark, and much of that African-American territory to southward is organized by the Paynes, and Ras Baraka, former councilman and son of the poet Amiri Baraka.

Newark City Councilman Luis Quintana is on his way to Trenton to file petitions to run in the general election for State Senate to represent the 29th District, according to incumbent Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo. 

This sets up a potential three-way race in November for the open seat.  Assemblyman William Payne has also indicated his intention to run as an independent, and would become the only African-American candidate in the race. 

You have to appreciate the arrogance of Assemblyman William Payne, who dangled the possibility of his own support before Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in exchange for Obama's endorsement of his independent bid for State Senate in the 29th district. 

Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo has nailed down the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, and is using pictures of himself with Payne in campaign literature as he fights the power structure that spit him out after he bucked the bosses last year.

"He told me he didn’t believe he could sit on the sidelines, and he thought my record and my tenure made my re-election important," said Caraballo, speaker pro tempore in the Assembly. "He made it a very personal thing."

Ten-term Congressman Donald Payne is in the potentially dangerous position of not supporting his party's nominee for State Senate, if his brother follows through on his plan to mount an Independent bid fall.  Assemblyman William Payne has opted out of a Democratic primary for Sharpe James' open Senate seat, saying he will run as an Independent against the expected Democratic nominee, Teresa Ruiz.  Last month, Newark Mayor Cory Booker refused to commit himself to backing Payne's re-election in 2008.

Assemblyman William Payne, who returned from China yesterday on a trip with his brother, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, confirmed this evening that he didn't meet today's primary filing deadline because he intends to run for State Senate in the 29th district as an independent.

Albeit regretfully modified, he insisted on retaining his party identify.

"I am going to file as an independent Democrat and run in the general election," Payne told PoliticsNJ in a telephone interview.