Speaker Craig Coughlin (D-19) of Woodbridge chipped in some cash to the mayoral ticket of Perth Amboy Councilman Helmin Caba.

According to ELEC, Coughlin made two contributions totaling $800 to challenger Caba, who’s running

against the state’s only elected Latina mayor. He made the first contribution totaling $500 on Sept. 11th, and made the second totaling $300 on the 14th of the same month. He made the campaign contributions in 2018 and 2019, prior to Caba formally switching over to a dedicated mayoral run, but they are recorded by ELEC as having been absorbed into the candidate’s mayoral account.

The ELEC report of the Caba ticket likewise showed considerable contributions from the Greater NJ Carpenters, at least $20K recorded in the closing days of October, a restructured labor outfit that in another iteration maintained strong ties to the Middlesex County Democratic Organization. In 2012, the NJ Regional Council of Carpenters backed the Diaz ticket. After that race, the mayor parted company with the countywide party establishment and the LD19 Legislative team.

In office since 2008, grassroots anti-establishment local candidate Diaz defeated longtime incumbent Mayor Joe Vas to land the executive position in City Hall. After originally trying to make peace with the old order that in the wider domain of Middlesex maintained party ties to Vas, the mayor decided to reside off the reservation for the last seven years. In addition to Caba and two other challengers, Vas’s son took a stab at the seat this year, but as of this week appeared unable to catch Caba, who unofficially finished in second place behind Diaz. Both leading candidates – the mayor and Caba – failed to get to the required 50% plus one to avoid a runoff.

Barring a significant vote tally alteration, Diaz will face Caba in the runoff on Dec. 15th, the date affixed by a governor’s executive order.