Rigo Rodriguez

Dominicans and allies celebrated Dr. Alex Blanco’s victory in the Passaic mayoral race last week as a first in the annals of American politics. As far as they know, he’s the first Dominican elected mayor in the United States.

“There’s an assemblyman in New York, but concerning mayors, none,” said Blanco, a product of the Passaic public school system who earned college and medical degrees locally and works in the city as a podiatrist.

“I was shocked when I found out I was the first,” added the mayor-elect, who figures to be sworn into office before the end of November.

PASSAIC – Among Dr. Alex Blanco’s street presence in the city on Election Day walks Paterson City At Large Councilman Rigo Rodriguez, who’s excited about his fellow Dominican American and his chances here today in the special mayoral contest.

“He’s a good candidate, and I believe he would be the right person to fight corruption in City Hall, which has been very bad here in Passaic,” said Rodriguez.

The councilman had success in his hometown in the last municipal election, as he sent an ally head-to-head with Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres’s candidate, Councilman Juan Torres.

PATERSON - Since North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato brought New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to the Flamboyan on the weekend after the Democratic National Convention, major Latino leaders have to this point hardly shown overwhelming enthusiasm in their endorsement of Sen. Barack Obama (D-Il.).

Hillary Clinton beat Obama in the Democratic Primary by almost ten percent or roughly the equivalent of the Latino vote, which is heavily Democratic in New Jersey and which was energized for Feb. 5th by Sen. Robert Menendez (D-Hoboken), Adubato and U.S. Rep. Albio Sires (D-West New York).

Now heading for the general election in three weeks and mindful - but not fearful - of that primary falloff in Latino numbers for Obama, party leaders held a Spanish and Spanglish-heavy rally here today, in a city that's over 50 percent Latino, in a county where Latinos number 44,849, or well over a fifth of all registered voters in Passaic.

The Rev. Dr. James Kuykendall, Sen. Frank Lautenberg, the Rev. David Rios, and U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell pray on Monday. 

PATERSON - On the Monday before Election Day, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) came to his native city to stand with a coalition of Latino and African-American ministers in a onetime gentleman’s club for the managers who operated the silk mills.

"When I was a kid, I used to walk on the street out there and wonder what was in that dark place," said Lautenberg, son of Jewish immigrants. "Then someone told me, ‘your kind is not welcome.’"

"Speak, Frank, speak," exhorted U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-8), standing with the Rev. Dr. James Kuykendall, the Rev. David Rios and other ministers.

PATERSON - Both sides chargCouncilman Aslon Goowe that election year politics are behind a full-blown contract talks stand off here between the mayor and fire department on one side, and the City Council on the other.

Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres said he delivered the city’s $26 million contract with the 217-hard-hat strong Paterson Fire Department to the council in November, but has since received nothing but stall tactics and excuses from the governing body. Torres said he believes council members fear getting blamed for the five-year contract come election time on May 13th, and so are attempting to distance themselves.

Not a good tactic, in his view.

"This contract emulates the police contract they already adopted," said Torres. "It’s consistent with the 4% cap that the governor wants.