With the gubernatorial election rapidly approaching, it is difficult to ignore the changed political landscape, which has come to light as a result of the new batch of higher office in New Jersey. In Middlesex County, the changes have done a lot to shake up the organization of the Democratic Party both at the local and county levels. This is especially apparent in Perth Amboy where the City’s Mayor seems to have launched a campaign to capitalize on the political shift to advance her own agenda. In fact, it seems that Mayor Diaz has spend the last few months brokering relationships with former opponents all in the name of maneuvering herself into control of the Perth Amboy Democratic Party’s leadership. To that end, Diaz has forged an unlikely alliance with several of her former opponents all for the purpose of, calling for my resignation as party chair.

More recently, it has become clear that Diaz has expanded her recruitment of allies to include the presumptive Chair-elect of the Middlesex County Democratic Organization, Kevin McCabe. Diaz did not stop at simply publicly noting her disagreement with me but she has undertaken a direct plan of attack that has forced a split in Perth Amboy. Rather than participate in the democratic process within the party, Diaz has advanced her own handpicked slate of candidates for the County Freeholder and Committeemen and Committeewomen. In so doing, she has recruited McCabe’s and wife Laurie’s support for her slate of candidates over the local Perth Amboy Democratic Party slate.

Diaz’s ability to capitalize on McCabe’s desire to obtain the support of the County’s Mayors has ensured that his support played right into her agenda. One of which she owes McCabe for his role in getting Diaz re-elected. Meanwhile, Perth Amboy becomes further divided and with the Mayor’s attentions focused on her divisive strategies, it’s not difficult to see that no one is minding the proverbial store.

The Diaz coalition has managed to accomplish moves, which the Mayor has failed to translate into progress within the City she leads. After unifying her most recent and most vocal opponents in the recent mayoral election, she is now backing former Perth Amboy mayoral candidate Frank Salado’s bid to be a freeholder, for the area. This is especially troubling in light of the fact that Salado’s run in Perth Amboy involved a change of address from his Carteret home to a rented apartment in Perth Amboy just in time to meet the filing deadline. Considering that his move to Perth Amboy sparked many inquiries, his move back to Carteret just in time for another election should similarly raise eyebrows. At a minimum, it should have raised Diaz’s eyebrows, but she clearly seems unconcerned so long as it serves her purposes.

All of this grandstanding has accomplished much for Diaz but nothing for Perth Amboy. I hope that our Mayor’s attentions will eventually turn back to the City she is supposed to be running.

Leslie Dominguez-Rodriguez

Perth Amboy Democratic

Organization Chairwoman

MCDO Vice-Chairs