Neil Cohen

Sources in Union County say Roselle Councilwoman Cecilia Dallas-Ricks did not muster enough support in Roselle to be a credible Democratic Party candidate and consequently will not be in nomination Tuesday night when the party votes for a successor to District 20 Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Roselle).

That sets up a showdown between Annette Quijano, assistant counsel to Gov. Jon Corzine; and Elizabeth Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-Auguste.

With Roselle out of contention, sources say Quijano is likely to summon more power-player support in a district where overall, registered Latino voters have a decided edge over African-Americans.

The governor’s assistant counsel has the backing of Union County Freeholder Director Angel Estrada and real estate agent and Hispanic party activist George Castro, both of whom retreated from their own pursuit of the vacated seat.

Assembly Deputy Speaker Neil Cohen resigned after state officials found child pornography on his office computer
Union County Democrats will meet next Tuesday at a special convention to elect the replacement for former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, who resigned his seat late last month after child pornography was allegedly found on one of his legislative office computers.

The replacement will be selected by the members of the county’s Democratic committee from the four towns that comprise Legislative District 20: Roselle, Elizabeth, Union Township and Kenilworth. But the endorsement by the district’s other two legislators – Assemblyman/Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan and State Sen. Ray Lesniak -- will undoubtedly weigh heavily on the committee’s decision.

Among the local political players said to be interested in the post are Roselle Councilwoman Cecelia Dallis-Ricks; Union County Freeholder Director Angel Estrada; Elizabeth Councilwoman Patricia Perkins-Auguste; Elizabeth Councilman Manny Grova; Roselle Councilman and former Cohen Chief-of-Staff Jamel Holley and Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith, who has butted heads with party leaders in the past.

State Sen. Leonard Lance’s congressional campaign yesterday questioned why his Democratic rival, Assemblywoman Linda Stender, was so quick to give her campaign donations back to former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, but has kept larger donations from U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.).

Rangel has faced scrutiny for leasing four rent stabilized apartments in his Harlem home district—one of which he uses as a campaign office and pays for with campaign funds. Cohen resigned from his Assembly seat on Monday amid allegations that he had child pornography on a legislative office computer.

HILLSIDE - Gov. Jon Corzine thought he heard a familiar tone of woe Gov. Jon Corzine: Politicker file photowhen New York’s new governor, David Paterson, addressed the dire state of the New York State budget this week.

"It sounded like my state of the budget, which I gave in February of last year," Corzine said.

Paterson on Tuesday announced a special legislative session to confront what he described as an economic crisis confronting New York State, including a budget shortfall of $6.4 billion.

Corzine this year shaved $600 million out of the state budget to help harness a state structural deficit of $2.5 billion, even as states like Pennsylvania and California are taking their own approaches to similar financial crises.

In an economic downturn nationwide in which food and gas prices are up and home values down, "This is crunch time on Main Street," said the governor - and most excruciatingly for the poor.

Linda Stender’s campaign has returned all of the donations it received from former Assemblyman Neil Cohen, according to Stender Chief of Staff Ed Oatman.

“We cut the check on Monday,” he said.

Cohen is under investigation for possessing child pornography on his legislative office computer. He resigned on Monday, which led the campaign to immediately give back the donations.

The Stender campaign returned a total of about $6,000 in Cohen donations from both the 2006 and 2008 election cycles.

"Whatever he's given us total, it's all given back," said Oatman.

Union County Republican Chairman Phil Morin today asked that funds for Assemblyman Neil Cohen’s reelection campaign be frozen, along with a joint campaign account Cohen held with Assemblyman and Democratic State Chairman Joe Cryan.

“As the investigation of child pornography allegations apparently continues against former Assemblyman Neil Cohen and election laws mandate that a special election be held this November as a result of the legislative vacancy, the Union County Republicans are calling for both his individual and joint legislative campaign accounts with Assemblyman Cryan to be frozen until the investigation is complete,” said Morin in a statement.

If the allegations against Cohen prove true, Morin said, he Cohen and Cryan should contribute the funds to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Charlotte DeFilippo, chair of the Union County Democratic Committee, issued a statement this afternoon in response to the resignation earlier today of Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Roselle). 

“A meeting of the Democratic Committee members from the 20th Legislative District will be held as expeditiously as possible and within the statutory 35 days to fill the vacant Assembly seat," said DeFilippo.

Union County Freeholder Director Angel Estrada picked up a phone Freeholder Director Angel Estradatoday and told top Union County Democratic officials that he wants to be considered among the candidates to replace Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Roselle).

"Now it’s up to the party to decide," said Estrada, 57, an Elizabeth resident who has served as a freeholder for nine years, including two, one-year terms as director.

Prior to his freeholder service, Estrada was a member of the Board of Education for six years, and a Democratic Party committeeman.

"I very much care about the needs of people, especially poor people in this district," said Estrada, who has lived in Elizabeth since he was ten. "I’m making myself available, I am interested, and beyond that there’s nothing much I can do. It’s not up to me."

ROSELLE - Now serving his second term as mayor of this Union County town of 20,000 residents, Roselle Mayor Garrett Smith threw his name into the mix today as a possible successor to Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Roselle), who resigned this morning.

"I’m definitely exploring the option of seeking that Assembly seat," Smith told PolitickerNJ.com. "I’m looking forward to having conversations with leaders of the Democratic Party."

Twice an off-the-line candidate for mayor who squeaked by in his last election by 300 votes, Smith is no darling of the Union County Democratic Party.

But he said his primary battles have been with Cohen, who was chair of the Roselle Democrats.

"He was really the person who was the issue, other than that there is no issue," said Smith. "I’m still trying to grasp the whole thing, but I’m open. I want to try to find a way for Roselle to be fully represented."

Assembly Minority Leader Alex DeCroce (R-Morris) said today that Assemblyman Neil Cohen made the right decision by resigning his seat.

“Given the gravity of the allegations he faces, relinquishing public office is the right thing to do for his constituents,” said DeCroce in a statement. “These are serious charges. The people of New Jersey deserve a Legislature that is untainted by scandal.”

On Friday, DeCroce issued a tougher worded statement about Cohen, saying that if the allegations that he stored child pornography on a legislative office computer then it “represents one of the most deplorable acts committed by a public servant,” and that “not only must he resign from office, but he should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”