Caridad Rodriguez

U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and his niece, Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg: Getty Images Photo

• Roberts: Lonegan is 'preposterous'
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• June and Jun
  
• Warren County is in the house
• In the belly of the Spotted Dog
• Healy allies dream of an Obama visit
• Some Jewish delegates sit on their hands for Carter
• Biden won't change Van Drew's mind about running
• Codey and Roberts come out swinging with 'us' versus 'them' battle cry
• Menendez would be a great boost as convention speaker, Rothman says
• For Torres, the streets of Paterson lead to Denver
• Passaic ready to go big for Obama, says Currie
• Tom Byrne is not sitting on a $1 million campaign account for nothing
• Frank Lautenberg introduces his son to the delegation
• Pounding the 'One America' theme on day one
• Shulman makes the rounds in Denver
• In a crowded Passaic field, Morales says she has fire in the belly
• Report: Springsteen and Bon Jovi to perform at Obama speech
• Gusciora: 2004 couldn't have been this good
• Other states take note: New Jersey rules
• Vega doesn't want to go back to the legislature, but isn't happy with Rodriguez
• Rothman seeks to appease Clinton supporters
• Corzine speaking out to get Menendez a chance at the podium
• Florio talks up Biden, weighs in on Andrews replacement
• If it's not to be Rone, mayor prefers a woman replacement in Central Ward
• It was 20 years - and 18 points ago
• Primary hurt still lingers in Obamaland

DENVER – Just before enjoying the Democratic delegates’ first breakfast, West New York Mayor and former Assemblyman Sal Vega told PolitickerNJ that  he doesn’t expect to ever seek to return to the Assembly seat he vacated last year to run a grueling and bitter long-shot primary against for state Senate against Union City Mayor Brian Stack.

That’s because he’d have to give up his mayoralty, which he prefers. 

“I enjoy being the executive of my municipal government,” said Vega, a Hillary Clinton delegate.  “When I left the Assembly, Assemblyman [John] Burzichelli, who I had gotten to know, said ‘Don’t feel bad, because there are only two people that citizens know and remember: the president of the United States and the mayor of their town.”

Congressman Albio Sires was a big winner in Tuesday's Democratic primary in Hudson County and the threat of a primary challenge in 2008 is likely over: his West New York hometown political rival, Sal Vega, was trounced by Sires' candidate, Brian Stack.  Vega -- with the backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization -- won just 23% of the vote and lost every town in his district, including West New York.  Sires played a strong and very public role in support of Stack, and now sees his longtime staffer, Caridad Rodriguez, take Vega's seat in the State Assembly.

The beer wasn’t free at Brian Stack’s victory celebration, but the crowd loved it anyway.

Several hundred people turned up at Fomento Hall to see Stack give his victory speech, and were treated to the first minute or so of Queen’s classic song “We Will Rock You,” loudly looped over and over again for a good half an hour.  Leading up to Stack’s appearance, the audience grew so antsy that a cheer rose up when a balloon popped.

Stack had just trounced his opponent, Sal Vega, getting 77% of the vote.  He even beat Vega in his home town of West New York, where he’s mayor.  The two assembly candidates on his slate, Ruben Ramos, Jr. and Caridad Rodriguez, also won.