PABLO FONSECA

The Obama Campaign today confirmed that Pablo Fonseca will serve as the campaign's political director in New Jersey.

A political veteran from Newark's North Ward, Fonseca serves as  chief of staff for Newark Mayor Cory Booker, co-chair of the Obama presidential campaign in New Jersey.

"Pablo brings an understanding of the New Jersey political landscape which will be essential to victory in November," said Andrew Poag, communications director for Obama.

Sources in the Barack Obama campaign say that veteran Newark operative Pablo Fonseca "is in the mix" to serve as political director for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Fonseca works as Newark Mayor Cory Booker's chief of staff.

Last month, the campaign selected labor leader Tricia Mueller as the campaign's state director, and Bob Decheine, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Steve Rothman (D-Fair lawn), as senior advisor. 

Since last year, Booker has served as co-chair of the Obama campaign in New Jersey, along with Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy. 

NEWARK - For the moment, Mayor Cory Booker stands by Central Ward Councilwoman Dana Rone, whose appeal to remain a councilwoman was struck down today by an assignment judge.

"We’re supporting Dana and we hope there’s an appeal process and that she is kept on as the central ward councilwoman," said Booker chief of staff Pablo Fonseca.

Newark sources say former School Board candidates James Bennett and Tynesha McHarris may make a play for Rone’s vacated Central Ward council seat.

But as to whether Booker is considering either of them as a replacement, Fonseca told PolitickerNJ.com, "no comment," and reiterated what he says is the mayor’s desire that Rone would prevail at the appellate state Supreme Court level.

Lionel Leach and Jackie Teel, working the phones in Clinton HQ in NewarkWhen Sen. Ronald Rice and North Ward Democratic Party boss Steve Adubato find themselves in the same political foxhole, something is either amiss, or it’s a presidential election year.

In certain company, the lead-up to Tuesday’s historic Democratic Primary contest looks like some incidental skirmish in Newark with here-today, gone-tomorrow alliances, played out as a backdrop to that more fervent chess war between local rivals angling for the real epic of some area city council and freeholder races later this year.

Lionel Leach, Rice’s former campaign field director, serves as spokesman for Sen. Hillary Clinton in her campaign’s week-and-a-half old Broad Street headquarters, even as North Ward Democratic Organization campaign firebrand Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz continues to steel the Latino vote for Clinton in rallies statewide. On the heels of his own family fight with Adubato, U.S. Rep. Donald Payne also intends to do some campaigning for Clinton this weekend.