Booker Bags Newark Mayor's Job

Cory Booker has apparently won the Newark mayor's job by an overwhelming landslide.

With 160 of 168 districts reporting, Mr. Booker was leading his closest challenger, Ronald L. Rice, a former deputy mayor in the administration of Mayor James, by three to one, 30,717 to 10,088.

That's a 72-24 landslide victory. Congrats on winning Cory, but here comes the hard part.

Trying to solve Newark's problems with Sharpe James lurking in the background and a state and local economy saddled with high taxes and businesses warily eyeing what Governor Corzine has planned for the state budget. James isn't entirely out of the picture given that he's still hanging around Trenton as a state senator through 2007.

Economic development, housing, and a Devils arena downtown are among the issues to confront Booker. And racial politics isn't far from the surface either:

Both Booker and James are black. But during the last election, James' supporters criticized the light-skinned Booker as not sufficiently black. Some of that bitterness remained on Tuesday, as reflected by anti-Booker signs urging people to "vote black."

"Don't waste your vote on folks who will not and cannot represent you!" said the signs, which were posted on utility poles.

This is the kind of racial pandering that is still prevalent in Newark, and it's reprehensible. We'll see if Booker can come through on his mandate and his vision for an improved Newark - that's how he should be judged, not the color of his skin.