Early voting starts in Paterson mayor's race as Wimberly stays silent on endorsement

PATERSON — Ahmed Shabbil arrived at the early voting site at the city's fire headquarters Friday 15 minutes before polls opened at 10 a.m. To his surprise, no one else was waiting in line.

Shabbil, 31, ended up being the first person to cast an in-person vote in the city’s mayoral and city council elections.

“I thought I would have to wait,” Shabbil said. “This is the first time I’ve ever voted early. I like early voting because it is so convenient.”

Mayor Andre Sayegh faces four challengers – former councilman Aslan Goow and current council members Michael Jackson, Alex Mendez and Luis Velez – in the battle for Paterson’s top job. Ten people are running for three seats on the city council.

Election Day officially arrives on Tuesday but Friday kicked off three days of early in-person voting in the city of 160,000 people.

Assemblywoman Shavonda Sumter on Friday morning announced she was endorsing Sayegh. But the other Assembly member who represents Paterson, Benjie Wimberly, has remained silent about whom he'd prefer, after backing the mayor four years ago.

Both Assembly Democrats are influential local leaders, especially in Paterson’s African American community, which political insiders say was pivotal to Sayegh’s victory in 2018.

Wimberly did not respond to messages seeking a comment. Several of his political allies and friends said he is likely to stay on the sidelines in the 2022 mayoral election.

Meanwhile, former Paterson police chief Troy Oswald said on Friday that he backs both Jackson and Mendez in the election. Oswald and Sayegh had been allies four years ago but had a falling out over a pay dispute.

About 1,400 Paterson residents already had cast their ballots through mail-in votes as of Friday morning, according to election officials. The number of votes cast in Friday’s early voting session won’t be made public until Saturday, officials said.

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At the Paterson fire headquarters, Shabbil was among about 30 people who showed up to cast their ballots during the first 90 minutes of polling. Across town, turnout was similarly light at Paterson’s other early voting site, the Islamic Center of Passaic County.

Campaign signs for Sayegh decorated the grass outside the mosque near Eastside Park. Just one person had arrived to vote until a minibus carrying 25 residents from a senior citizen building in Paterson’s 6th Ward pulled up to the curb.

Among those on the bus were Sayegh’s chief of staff, Christian Callegari, and City Council President Maritza Davila’s legislative aide, Hector Nieves. Waiting in the parking lot to greet the residents was 6th Ward Councilman Al Abdelaziz, a staunch Sayegh ally. Davila, who is running for reelection, arrived as the people got off the bus to vote.

Callegari and Nieves both said they had taken days off from their city jobs to help get voters to the polls. Their presence together on the vehicle packed with elderly voters seemed to underscore the political alliance between Sayegh and Davila – former adversaries who have grown increasingly cooperative in the past six months.

Callegari, Nieves, and Abdelaziz all shrugged their shoulders and said they didn’t know when asked who had paid for the private minibus.

“We’re helping people exercise their rights with early voting,” Abdelaziz proclaimed. “This is energizing the people of the 6th Ward.”

One man on the minibus said he goes for dialysis on Tuesdays and usually doesn’t feel well afterward. The man, who asked that his name not be published, said he was grateful for the chance to vote before Election Day.

Another passenger, Luz Ortiz, said she was happy to get her civil duty done early. “This way I don’t have to think about it,” Ortiz said. “It’s easier this way.”

At the firehouse, 69-year old Ed Pikarz and his wife, Leslie Pikarz, arrived to vote 45 minutes before the polls opened. Upon learning they were early; the couple returned home and came back later.

“We love early voting because things are so calm,” he said.

Leytania Burgos, 23, praised the convenience of early voting. “I don’t have to feel any pressure in case something comes up on the last day and I can’t make it,” she said.

Jose Nieves, 60, said voting early enabled him to avoid standing in line. “When you go to vote, there are good and bad people,” Nieves stated. “I don’t like big crowds, People can get nasty really fast.”

Eileen Ruiz was adamant about her purpose in casting a ballot. She voted alongside her 75-year-old grandfather.

“I wanted to vote early so my vote is counted and my voice is heard,” Ruiz said. “I’m very disappointed with the politicians of Paterson. Every one of them. I want to get rid of the corruption.”

The early voting will continue through the weekend at the same two locations – 300 McBride Ave. and 152 Derrom Ave. – from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson NJ elections: early voting starts, mayor hopefuls endorsed