PATERSON — Mayor Andre Sayegh has begun to expand his political involvement in places outside Passaic County with a recent series of contributions to local-level Democrats in other towns.
Sayegh’s most recent campaign finance report, which was made public by the state Election Law Enforcement Commission this week, shows he sent $250 to Somerset County Democrats on May 12.
That donation was followed four days later by $300 to Paramus municipal council candidates on May 16, $250 to the mayor of Fanwood on May 18, and two checks on May 22 — one for $100 to the Democratic ticket in Westwood and another for $300 to a 10-year incumbent on the Bergen County Board of Commissioners.
A Paterson Press analysis of Sayegh’s political spending found that the five contributions he made to Democrats in Bergen, Somerset and Union counties during 11 days in May exceeded his total number of out-of-county donations during the previous three years combined.
Sayegh’s quarterly election finance report, which covered the period from April 1 through June 30, showed three other donations to political and civic groups outside Passaic County:
- $300 to Lodi Pride on May 2.
- $150 to Ridgefield Democrats on June 15.
- $500 to Bergen County Executive James Tedesco on June 27.
“I don’t think there’s any secret about what Andre’s doing,” said Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly of Paterson. “Obviously, he’s trying to expand his political base for future opportunities for office.”
Sayegh, meanwhile, offered a different explanation for his recent spike in donations to politicians outside the county. He said he simply is getting a growing number of invitations.
“People clearly have taken notice of what I’ve accomplished in Paterson,” Sayegh said. “It seems my profile has gotten to the point where more and more people are asking me to attend their events.”
Paterson Press asked Sayegh if he was setting himself up to run for some higher office. Sayegh’s name has come up frequently when political figures discuss the 9th District congressional seat currently held by Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., the 86-year-old former Paterson mayor.
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“I would never limit myself,” Sayegh responded. “If you have ambition and ability, you shouldn’t restrict your opportunities.”
Political insiders say Sayegh’s not-so-subtle maneuvering for the congressional seat may come back to haunt him by hurting his relationship with Pascrell and his supporters. Wimberly also has been mentioned as a possible successor to Pascrell. But Wimberly — a longtime football coach — repeatedly says he wants to win one election at a time and currently is focused on his reelection to the Assembly.
Wimberly said he also gets overwhelmed with invitations and ticket-purchase requests for political fundraising events. It would be impossible to go to them all, he added.
“Right now, I’m focused on the state party and the county party,” said the prominent New Jersey Democrat.
Sayegh, meanwhile, just finished the first year of his second four-year term as mayor. The year 2023 has already been a hard one for Sayegh. The city is facing an $18.6 million budget deficit, and Paterson’s Police Department was taken over by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office in March after the fatal police shooting of local activist Najee Seabrooks at the end of a lengthy armed standoff.
But the mayor also was able to reopen the long-dormant historic Hinchliffe Stadium in May, a key part of his plan for revitalizing the city.
Sayegh already has filed papers with the state for a possible reelection run in 2026, and his recent reports also show that he is still making plenty of contributions to local political figures and groups.
For example, on Jan. 11 he gave $5,000 to the Passaic County Democratic Committee, on Feb. 28 he donated $500 to Paterson school board member Dania Martinez, on March 6 he contributed $150 to County Clerk Danielle Ireland-Imhof’s campaign, and on April 13 he gave $300 to Paterson’s Sixth Ward Neighborhood Association.
Joe Malinconico is editor of Paterson Press.
Email: [email protected]
