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Just The Aunt
Supporter
Username: Auntof13
Post Number: 4961
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 11:23 pm: | 
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I don't consider this bad but don't know where to post it:
From the Star Ledger Website @ NJ.com
Booker wins easily
Cory Booker swept to victory in the Newark mayor’s race by a historic margin today, collecting more than 70 percent of the vote from an electorate that rejected his candidacy four years ago.Booker’s closest challenger, state Sen. Ronald L. Rice, finished with less than 25 percent.
The election of Booker, a 37-year-old former Rhodes scholar and Yale-educated lawyer who moved to Newark just a decade ago, opens a new chapter in the city’s political history. A self-proclaimed reformer, he is Newark’s first new mayor in 20 years and just the second since 1970.
His easy victory was made possible after Mayor Sharpe James announced in March he would not seek a sixth term. Four years ago, James defeated Booker by 3,500 votes, or 53 percent to 47 percent, in a vitriolic race that captured national attention.
Booker hasn’t stopped running since. This evening he was mobbed by hundreds of cheering supporters outside his Central Ward campaign headquarters, where he made a quick stop before heading to a victory party at Essex County College.
“Today you all took it home,” he told the crowd, his voice hoarse. “This is for the people and the city of Newark.”
At Rice’s campaign headquarters on Broad Street, the senator called his supporters to attention at 9:45 p.m.
“I know this occasion is a historical occasion,” he told a crowded room. “We have come so far since 1967 in this city under the leadership of Ken Gibson and Sharpe James. This progress could never have been possible without the residents of Newark. Tonight I have to concede this election based on the numbers I have seen.”
With 160 of 168 districts reporting, Booker had captured 71.8 percent of the vote, the largest percentage in a contested race since 1954, when Newark began holding nonpartisan elections. Rice won 23.6 percent of the vote, 4 percentage points less than when he ran in 1998.
David Blount, a national account manager for Sprint, captured 4.1 percent, while Nancy Rosenstock, a meat packer and Socialist Workers Party candidate, trailed with less than 1 percent.
In the council races, the early returns had Booker candidates picking up at least three council seats.
In the East Ward, incumbent Augusto Amador cruised to victory over Fernando Linhares with nearly 70 percent of the vote. In the Central Ward, Dana Rone mustered just enough votes to avoid a runoff against Charles Bell. And in the hostly contested North Ward, where both candidates had endorsed Booker, Anibal Ramos Jr. rode the backing of the North Ward Center political machine to a 3-to-1 margin over incumbent Hector Corchado.
The South Ward will be a runoff between the sons of two old political allies: J. Sharpe James, the son of Sharpe James, and Oscar S. James II, son of Oscar James.
The West Ward is heading for a runoff between incumbent Mamie Bridgeforth and Ronald C. Rice.
The remaining four At-Large seats are still being sorted out.
Booker will need the support of the council if he is to fulfill an ambitious agenda that includes hiring more police officers, giving the mayor a greater role in Newark’s ailing school district and making City Hall more accountable to residents.
Rice faced long odds from the start. Though well known and well regarded in the city, the former deputy mayor and West Ward councilman opted against mounting a campaign until he knew whether James, an on-again, off-again ally, would seek a sixth term.
As Booker collected checks, Rice waited. And as Booker hopscotched from ward to ward - shaking hands, speaking at community events and building momentum - Rice waited some more. By the time James announced his political retirement on March 27, Rice was already in a deep hole.
He didn’t open a campaign headquarters until later that week, and he never got around to hiring a campaign manager or a press liaison to promote his positions and events, not that he had many events to promte.
A Star-Ledger poll in early April showed him trailing Booker by 43 percentage points, the kind of gap that doesn’t lend itself to successful fundrasising. By last week, Rice had raised just $177,845 to Booker’s $6.5 million.
Rice had been scheduled to vote at Vailsburg Middle School before 8 a.m., drawing a half-dozen television cameras, two still photographers and assorted reporters. When he failed to show, a frantic poll worker began making calls on a cell phone outside the school.
He finally arrived at 11 a.m., saying he had been up all night plotting Election Day logistics in his campaign headquarters and needed to shower and shave before voting. He remained upbeat throughout the day, however, buoyed by the hugs and kisses of volunteers and well-wishers across the city.
“People are giving me a thumbs up and honking their horns,” Rice said outside his Broad Street campaign office, across from City Hall. “If that’s an indication of votes, we’re going to do well. Residents are making me feel good today.”
Booker began his day decidedly earlier, emerging from his Brick Towers apartment shortly after 6 a.m. Energized and cheerful, he delivered bottles of water and Snickers bars to poll workers, volunteers, even crossing guards.
“Some energy for later on today,” he told workers at one South Ward polling place.
Booker would need some of that energy himself as he zipped from polling place to polling place across the city. At 3:30 p.m., he and Rice crossed paths at East Side High School. Neither man greeted the other.
Four years ago, Booker managed to raise just $42,000 from Newark residents or businesses. This time around, Newarkers accounted for $821,000 of his $6.5 million total, according to campaign finance reports filed last week.
“He has new energy, new inspiration and integrity,” said Alonzo Campbell, a 36-year-old hotel chef who cast his ballot for Booker today. “Change is good.”
Contributed by Mark Mueller, Katie Wang and Jeffery C. Mays
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Director
Citizen
Username: Director
Post Number: 25
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 9, 2006 - 11:51 pm: |
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and.... |
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1827
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 7:17 am: |
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Excellent news!
Go Cory!
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notehead
Supporter
Username: Notehead
Post Number: 3249
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 1:20 pm: |
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It is great news. He would have won last time if not for the underhanded tactics used by James. I understand an excellent documentary was made about that. Has anyone seen it? |
hch
Citizen
Username: Hch
Post Number: 258
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 1:34 pm: |
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This can only mean good things for Newark and as a result good things for the surrounding towns.
Hopefully Booker will have the fortitude to clean house in Newark government.
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Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 2749
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 3:30 pm: |
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How much power/control will he have, as the mayor, to do so? I know little of Newark/NJ politics, but my sense is that everything is wired one way or another. What will it take for Booker to effect any change? |
hch
Citizen
Username: Hch
Post Number: 259
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 3:37 pm: |
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Nearly all of the city agencies are filled with political appointees, with varying terms and expiration dates. It will take Booker a couple of years to get rid of most of the James' appointees.
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Cynicalgirl
Citizen
Username: Cynicalgirl
Post Number: 2750
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 3:40 pm: |
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What about the city council? In addition to the agencies, and especially the Police Dept and the schools, more likely to be James supporters (or James style politics and views?) |
Eats Shoots & Leaves
Citizen
Username: Mfpark
Post Number: 3325
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 4:16 pm: |
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Cory's slate carried the council. He should have good support to start making changes. The first one has to be in the Police Department, which has historically been a political mosh pit (under Ken, then under Sharpe) and will continue so under Cory, I bet. Right after that is the school district, which as was pointed out on another thread, takes in almost $20k per student from the State and still can't make it work. If Corzine has any sense, he will give Cory as much help as he can to prove that a) he is serious about cleaning up NJ politics, and b) can actually effectively start to rehabilitate our decaying urban core that costs us so much resources and yields so little return right now--and then start to work on Camden and Trenton. |
HOMMELL
Citizen
Username: Hommell
Post Number: 166
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 4:16 pm: |
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notehead - It's an interesting documentary. I wouldn't call it excellent. It is largely one-sided; not necessairy slanted but with the limited footage and access, it could really only come out one way. It is what it is. It does provide interesting primary source material.
http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2005/streetfight/index.html |
Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1830
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 5:05 pm: |
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Notehead,
I have the documentary on DVD if you want to borrow it - PL me.
I thought "Street Smart" was excellent. The pure thuggery of Sharpe and his cronies was something.
Glad they're on the way out. |
Factvsfiction
Citizen
Username: Factvsfiction
Post Number: 385
Registered: 4-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 5:40 pm: |
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Not one Essex County democrat seemed to be disturbed that the documentary made about the Booker-James race apparently had some content, according to news reports, that indicated James alleged that Booker was some sort of front for Jewish interests in running for Mayor.
I believe both our County Executive, Joe D, and Bobby Menedez have been pictured embracing Mayor James since the movie came out. Hmmm...
So, politics trumps what is right?
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Lydia
Supporter
Username: Lydial
Post Number: 1832
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 5:53 pm: |
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Factsv -
Quote:James alleged that Booker was some sort of front for Jewish interests in running for Mayor.
James pulled out all the stops - he called Booker white, "a faaggot" (couldn't get through the censor) - you're surprised that the vast Zionist conspiracy came into play?
And yeah, the politicians who didn't call James on his racism, bigotry, and outright lies should answer to the masses.
Maybe they will, or better yet, the voters will remind them in the polls. |
hch
Citizen
Username: Hch
Post Number: 261
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 - 8:22 pm: |
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Now James will have more time to hang out on his yacht. |
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