Orange

Hawkins Chief of Staff Tai Cooper confers with Codey Chief A.J. Sabath 

ORANGE - In a packed auditorium at the Middle School this afternoon, Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) saluted the newly sworn-in Mayor Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., and said he couldn’t go wrong with Tahirah "Tai" Cooper as his chief-of-staff.

Formerly Lautenberg’s Cooper senior project specialist out of the senator’s Newark office, Cooper is now officially with the Hawkins administration as the new mayor takes charge of Orange today.

One of the stars on stage paying tribute to the 29-year old Hawkins, Lautenberg sat in between Gov. Jon Corzine and Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex). In the audience were Newark Mayor Cory Booker and East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser.

ORANGE - Two days after Election Day, At Large Councilman Donald Page said he has not yet conceded victory to West Orange Patrolman Eldridge Hawkins in their Orange At-Large Councilman Donald Page on Election Daymayoral contest.

Hawkins beat Page on Tuesday night by a margin of 30-27%, but Page said he’s not so sure.

"We have some questions about what happened on Election Day," said the candidate, who huddled today with lawyers to examine the results.

"I’m not at liberty to say right now exactly how we’re going to pursue this," Page added.

ORANGE - With Rep. Rob Andrews (D-1) planning a swing through Zoning Board Chair Janice MorrellOrange on Tuesday, Zoning Board Chair and mayoral candidate Janice Morrell prepared to take him on a tour of several of the city’s senior high-rises.

When Andrews, a candidate for U.S. Senate in next month’s Democratic Primary, abruptly canceled his walk with Morrell, his campaign cited a scheduling conflict.

But Morrell, who came in fourth in a field of six on Election Day in her quest to be the next mayor of Orange, said she still wants Andrews to come to her city.

"I want someone to do something about those seniors living in those buildings," said Morrell. "They’ve been ignored for so long."

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., and his sister, Hillary, moments after they learned of victory. 

ORANGE - A few Orange city blocks separate the campaign headquarters of Donald Page and Eldridge Hawkins, but a wide gulf of emotion opened up after 9 p.m. when the results of the mayor’s race came down from City Hall and Hawkins won.

In a six-way race, Hawkins defeated Page by a margin of 30-27%, or 1,061 to 942 votes, to deal a heartbreaking loss to the forces of the long-serving councilman.

"We did it," said a jubilant Hawkins, surrounded by family and supporters, including state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) in his campaign headquarters behind Sandwiches Unlimited on Center Street.

"He was a great candidate," said Codey, an Orange native who backed the 28-year old West Orange patrolman amid controversy about the candidate’s short-time residency in Orange.

ORANGE -Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., a West Orange police officer, defeated At-Large Councilman Donald Page and a field of four other candidates to become the new mayor of Orange.

Hawkins earned 1,061 votes or 30% of the votes, compared to 942 or 27% for Page.

Coming in third was North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason with 564 votes, followed by Zoning Board Chair Janice Morrell with 417 votes, activist Betty Brown with 285 votes, and Planning Board Chair Dwight Holmes, 212 votes.

Morrell campaign manager Peter Learmont, left, and Morrell supporter Royland Cain 

ORANGE - In front of the Love of Jesus Church, Peter Learmont, campaign manager for Janice Morrell, urges a Donald Page supporter to abandon her backing of the long-serving councilman and side with the Morrell campaign.

He meets resistance.

"When they tried to raise my taxes, Donald Page voted 'no,'" Ollie Marshall-Rico says.

Eldridge Hawkins and campaign volunteers 

ORANGE - Standing in front of the Oakwood Avenue School with his orange t-shirted supporters, Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., says he's taking nothing for granted.

"While the other candidates were driving their caravans around this weekend, six cars deep, I was out there knocking on doors," says Hawkins.

Last night, state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) sent out a robocall for Hawkins.

Councilman Donald Page and Orange resident Kettely Austin 

ORANGE - Running for mayor, At-Large Councilman Donald Page voted at 7 a.m. at the YMCA on Park Avenue and High Street.

Now he drives from one polling place to the next while his campaign manager Michael Vieira puts yellow-shirted Page soldiers on the streets.

The camp is confident.

"We had some problems with some of the machines - one at Love of Jesus Church and another at the Elks, but otherwise things have gone well," said Page, a 14-year veteran of the council.

ORANGE Candidates for mayor: At-Large Councilman Donald Page, North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason, West Orange Patrolman Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., Zoning Board Chair Janice Morrell, activist Betty Brown, Planning Board Chair Dwight Holmes.ORANGE - Senate President Richard Codey (D-Essex) has invested his time, name and $2,600 in Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., the 28-tear old son of his former seat mate in the Assembly, who voted in his first Orange election just last year.

Codey’s political enemies will crow if his candidate fails to secure anything short of a first place finish, but the former governor’s pick of a 28-year old with "it factor" potential could pay political dividends in the future.

ORANGE - Newark Mayor Cory Booker todayNewark Mayor Cory Booker lent his public support to the mayoral candidacy of Eldridge Hawkins, Jr.

"I know what it takes to restore hope and a new direction to a city in crisis," Booker wrote in a message to Orange voters that appeared on Hawkins campaign mailers throughout the Essex County city on the eve of the last weekend before Election Day.

"Eldridge Hawkins has the competence, good ideas and determination to create a bright future for Orange," Booker wrote of the 28-year old West Orange police officer.