November 3, 2008 - 8:24pm
Inside Edge

If he wins, Sandoval will be GOP rising star

By this time tomorrow, Jose Sandoval will either be one of the New Jersey GOP’s rising stars or a three-time loser.  The real estate developer is a contender in a non-partisan special election for Mayor of Passaic, a job that opened up after Sammy Rivera’s criminal conviction.  If Sandoval wins – and keeps his pledge to end corruption in city government and keep local property taxes in line – he could emerge as a candidate for higher office.  Some Republicans today said that Sandoval could even emerge as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor in 2009, especially if the GOP gubernatorial candidate thinks they can make a play for Hispanic votes in the general election.

But a Sandoval loss would likely end his hopes of holding public office.  He was defeated in a 2005 bid for State Assembly (against Gary Schaer, now Passaic’s Acting Mayor, and  won just 28% of the vote two years ago in a race for Congress against Democrat Bill Pascrell

Wally Edge can be reached via email at politicsnj@aol.com.