UP

Ras Baraka

Based on what happened last night – a 2-1 blow-out by the Baraka-backed Unity Team over candidates backed by his fiercest critic – the Newark Mayor (pictured) appears to be well-positioned for his reelection bid next year. We’re not saying he won’t get his hair mussed in 2018, but as long as he maintains good relations with the Ramos-Quintana-Gonzalez-Amador block, he can sever from Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins with relative impunity.

Hector Lora

Hoping to secure a four-year term in the non-partisan election in Passaic City next month, the acting mayor could revel in a clean sweep by his (and Assemblyman Gary Schaer’s) school board slate.

Anibal Ramos

Okay, he didn’t become mayor in 2014, but the Newark North Ward Councilman demonstrated the pulse beat of the North Ward Democratic Organization, which catapulted Ramos’ candidate, Josephine Garcia, to top vote-getter on the night. Baraka will have to work with him to prevent Ramos from wandering off and boosting the sagging fortunes of Chaneyfield Jenkins.

Michele Mason

The head of the Newark Charter School Fund did her part to pull together the warring school reform segments to build a consensus around Flo Johnson as the charter schools candidate.

Jason Solowsky

The low-drama campaign strategist on the Unity Ticket was a welcome, calmly measured voice amid the mayhem leading up to yesterday’s rainy day Brick City affair.

Jermaine James

Johnson’s campaign handler once again proved a dynamic (and nattily attired) campaign presence in his successful piloting of Johnson’s citywide ground game.

Joe Grillo

The former Executive Director of the Monmouth County Democrats last night led his ticket to victory, defeating two incumbents and taking a political majority on the Asbury Park Board of Education. Grillo, joined by Eric Pinckney and incumbent Carol Jones, now make up the political majority on the Asbury Park School Board of Education.

Donald Payne, Jr.

The elegant congressman from the 10th District held a hugely successful fundraiser at the Robert Treat Hotel on Sunday night, that featured none other than U.S. Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.).

Hirsh Singh

We originally mistakenly consigned the Republican gubernatorial candidate to the down side of the ledger based on a ballot dust-up in Passaic, but reassessed Singh’s week after after the aggressive, tough guy suit he filed to gain entry to the debates.

Down

Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins

The Central Ward councilwoman backed two candidates in the Newark School Board elections and they both lost 2-1. She may have no real political choice other than to run for mayor next year, but if the Baraka-Ramos stronghold on display last night holds up in 2018, she will face an uphill climb.

Richie Diaz

The ticket he backed in the Passaic school Board election lost 2-1 to the Lora-Backed slate, which doesn’t bode well for the former police director, arguably Lora’s chief challenger in next month’s nonpartisan citywide elections.

Larry Wainstein

Hanging around for another shot at Mayor Nick Sacco, in North Bergen, the gutsy businessman who failed in his 2015 mayoral bid again came up short last night with a school board slate-backing effort to chip away at Sacco World.

Paul DiGaetano

A judge sided with Passaic County Clerk Kristin Corrado in a courtroom spat with the Bergen County Republican Chairman and LD40 senate candidate. Judge Ernest M. Caposela supported a ruling by the clerk’s office that “blocked an attempt by the DiGaetano slate, which is running under the slogan Republicans for Honest Government, to bracket with Hirsh Singh, a gubernatorial candidate from Atlantic County,” according to this Bergen Record story.

Garfield Incumbents

Board members Robert Benanti and Richard Giacomarro failed to win reelection against challengers Frank Barber Jr. (the Garfield Dems Municipal Vice Chair and top vote-getter) and Julio Quiles, who both won by a nearly 2-1 margin.