Balut is less of a threat to Corzine than he is to Diaz
By Wally Edge
There is no sign that Perth Amboy Councilman Ken Balut can do any better against Jon Corzine in the Democratic gubernatorial primary than the six percent that Morristown Mayor Donald Cresitello won in his campaign for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination against Frank Lautenberg last year. Balut will have a hard time qualifying for public financing, and even if he did - which he won't - Corzine would not be compelled to debate him since Corzine is not accepting public funds for his re-election campaign.
Balut's potential candidacy creates a dilemma for Wilda Diaz, who unseated 18-year Perth Amboy Mayor Joseph Vas in 2008. Diaz is viewed as a rising star in the Democratic Party - some serious Democratic leaders have mentioned her as a possible candidate for Lieutenant Governor. But Diaz and Balut are political allies and were running mates in their bid to topple the Vas machine last year. If Diaz endorses Balut, raises money for him, or does anything other than endorse Corzine, it could limit her ability to be taken seriously as a Democratic player. (It could also help Vas, the Perth Amboy Democratic Municipal Chairman, keep his Assembly seat.) Diaz, as the Mayor-elect, endorsed Rob Andrews over Frank Lautenberg in the 2008 U.S. Senate primary.
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