Paynes trounce Booker in South Ward, while James fights on in the Central

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10), left, and his son Freeholder and Councilman Donald Payne, Jr. 

The Election Day fight for county committee ward leaders in three of Newark’s five wards so far resulted in no stop-the-presses gains for Mayor Cory Booker, who felt the particular sting of losing to candidates fielded by U.S. Rep. Donald Payne (D-10) and his allies in the South Ward.

But Booker and his deputy chief of staff, Jermaine James, still have a shot in the Central Ward, where James is vying to be the party’s ward chairman against incumbent Blonnie Watson and North Ward-backed candidate Dwight Holmes.

None of the three candidates produced enough votes Tuesday to claim victory.

Now, as he runs a three-way negotiating war to persuade district leaders to side with him against Holmes and Coleman, and give him a plurality, James said he is emphasizing his youth and important political connections.

"Sen. Barack Obama gives us an edge," said James, who got out the vote for Obama on behalf of the presidential candidate’s campaign co-chair Booker in the Feb. 5th primary election.

"Obama won’t go to anyone else except the mayor, and we’re using that as an argument for why I should be the chair," he added. "We can get a lot more discretionary funds. I mean over the next couple of days to demonstrate that we will be able to use our influence to benefit the ward."

As the Central Ward remains unresolved, other news for Booker is disheartening, particularly when it comes to the South Ward.

The mayor had especially wanted to build strength there, and some of his forces may have infiltrated Payne’s line "B" organization, but in numbers that will likely not be big enough to produce a plurality and thus translate into leadership power.

"We did great," said former Assemblyman Bill Payne (D-Newark). "No problem."

In the East Ward, longtime party leader Joseph Parlavecchio and his allies held onto their district leader seats, maintaining a 20-4 edge over Booker. This arguably was not as crushing a loss for the mayor as his amped up foray into the south, where his people had spent months organizing.

In the East, Parlevecchio beat Booker in the fewer than 20 districts where Booker's people filed. Team Booker's four victories came in districts where Parlavecchio didn't field candidates.

"It was an all out frontal assualt against us here, they just weren't as overt as they were in the south," said Parlavecchio.

Steve Adubato’s district leaders ran unopposed in the North Ward. The organization is too strong to challenge. Neither was there a fight in the West Ward, which is controlled by Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) and his allies.