Vinny Capuana

Sources in the City of Passaic say real estate developer Jose Sandoval is gathering forces to launch another run for mayor.

That makes Sandoval the second unsuccessful candidate in the Nov. 4th special election who's already gearing up for next year's May contest to secure a full, four-year term.

City supervisor Vinny Capuana never shut down his downtown campaign headquarters.

Capuana and Sandoval came in second and third respectively behind physician Alex Blanco.

City Councilman Joe Garcia and bail bondsman Carl Ellen came in fourth and fifth, and sources say both men are the objects of the remaining candidates' efforts to bring them and their constituents on board for the 2009 grudge match.

Gearing up at Capuana HQ.

PASSAIC - It stands right across from City Hall, and although he came up 400 votes short in last week's mayoral election, sources close to Vinny Capuana say his headquarters isn't going anywhere.

It will remain open and active.

There is a mayor's race next year, after all.

As mayor, Capuana's conqueror, Alex Blanco, will enjoy the advantage of incumbency in next year's mayoral contest for a full, four-year term.

But both Blanco and Capuana are trying to secure the backing of those other contestants in last week's race to fill the unexpired term of Sammy Rivera: real estate developer Jose Sandoval, City Councilman Joe Garcia, and bail bondsman Carl Ellen. 

Dr. Alex Blanco

PASSAIC – It’s bleak on Monday.  The sky never disgorges the rain and people stand around in the streets and talk about what’s going to go down here tomorrow.

There’s one day left in this five-man race for a seat left vacant by a man in federal prison, and most have a good idea about who’s wearing wires and where the money’s coming from, but no one knows who’s going to win.

Not if they’re telling the truth.

Campaign headquarters are almost up to full strength several hours before real estate developer Jose Sandoval, physician Alex Blanco, code enforcement inspector/School Board President Vinny Capuana, bail bondsman Carl Ellen and landlord/City Councilman Joe Garcia head to the local Baptist Church for a final collective prayer on the eve of Election Day.

PASSAIC - On the day the Herald News endorses real estate developer Jose Sandoval  in the mayor’s race, four of the five candidates sit at the front of a big room hugging highway 21 at a warehouse district debate sponsored by an alliance of community groups.

A fifth chair stands empty.

“I had other commitments and I had to make those commitments,” Councilman Joe Garcia explains later.

Garcia’s absence at the last debate forum before Tuesday’s special election fans rumors that either one of the campaigns of Dr. Alex Blanco or city super Vinny Capuana broke through and secured backing from the councilman’s supporters, thereby shutting down his campaign.

Marcellus Jackson, who pleaded guilty to corruption charges and is awaiting sentencing, stumps for Passaic mayoral candidate Vinny Capuana last night

PASSAIC – A crowd packed the VFW Hall on Thursday night as former Councilman Marcellus Jackson, who pled guilty last year to corruption charges and is awaiting sentencing, seized a microphone and launched into a raise-the-roof speech in favor of Vinny Capuana for mayor and Barack Obama for president.

“Vinny’s done a lot for us and I’m doing all I can to help him in spite of my present troubles,” Jackson told PolitickerNJ.com.

Busted for taking $26,000 in bribes from federal agents posing as members of an insurance agency as part of Operation Broken Boards, Jackson, in the role of emcee, praised Capuana as a loyal man of the people who backed him in tough times.

County Chairman John Currie: Politicker file photo 

As five candidates for mayor continue to slug it out in Passaic City, John Currie, chairman of the Passaic County Democratic Party, said he doesn't want to get in the middle of the action.

"I'm keeping out of that one," the chairman told PolitickerNJ.com moments before joining elected officials at an Obama rally in Paterson on Monday.

He's mostly focused on presidential politics and on his freeholder candidates, not the county's biggest local battle, he insisted. 

"I'm spending more money than I'd like on the freeholders' race, but that's all right," said Currie. "Registration's through the roof."

PASSAIC - Mayoral candidate Jose Sandoval stands on the porch of a voter who’s frustrated by gangs, sexual predators, drug dealers, cops and politicians.

The voter says the cops own local bars and nitpick residents with parking violations if they get in the way of business traffic. If the drug dealers kill the pit-bull that guards his property, he’s convinced the cops will kill his pit-bull.

It’s frustrating.

He calls to his son-in-law, who stands dutifully at attention as the man grasps the child’s slender shoulders in two calloused hands. The boy shows no emotion in the face of three strangers who tower over him.

“He’s autistic,” explains the man. “He can’t play outside here. There’s a child molester who lives up the street with three children. His wife’s a crack head. There are gangs in the streets. How can this boy play outside?”

As for politicians...don’t get him started.

Passaic mayoral candidate Vincent Capuana has no problem with Marcellus Jackson working on his campaign
PASSAIC - Two mayoral candidates here say it’s hard for one of their rivals, Vincent Capuana, to be a change agent when a former councilman, who pleaded guilty to corruption, continues to volunteer for Capuana’s campaign Marcellus Jackson left the council last year after admitting that he took bribes from federal agents posing as members of an insurance firm.

On Thursday night, he worked the door collecting money as a volunteer at a Capuana fundraiser.

“Twenty years of friendship are 20 years of friendship,” said Capuana campaign manager Jose Alex Ybarra. “Loyalty is very big with many of us.”

Mayoral candidate Carl Ellen: Politicker file photo 

PASSAIC - Mayoral candidate Carl Ellen received a subpoena today from the office of U.S. Attorney Chris Christie to answer questions about a bribe he told the Herald News someone offered him if he would get out of the race, the candidate this evening confirmed to PolitickerNJ.com.

Ellen said he is scheduled to appear in Christie’s office tomorrow. The subpoena came following Ellen’s refusal to answers questions when pressed by local police authorities about who offered him $25,000 to withdraw from the contest.

A local bailbondsman, Ellen is running against city super Vinny Capuana, Dr. Alex Blanco, real estate developer Jose Sandoval and City Councilman Joe Garcia to succeed jailed former Mayor Sammy Rivera.