newjerseynewsroom.com

The New Jersey Dominican-American Organization announced its endorsement Friday of Gov. Jon Corzine for re-election.

"The Dominican community is proud to have Jon Corzine as governor,'' said Lucilo Santos, the organization's president. "He made history with his appointment of the first Dominican-American prosecutor of Passaic County and in the nation, Camelia Valdez. We believe in his leadership and urge Latino families of New Jersey on November 3 to not only come out and vote, but to do so in favor of the candidate that has always had our interests at heart, our Governor Jon S. Corzine."

Santos cited what he described as Corzine's commitment to protecting working families, his economic recovery plan for New Jersey as a prime example of his leadership. Santos also pointed to what he said is the governor's partnership with President Obama's administration to ensure the state gets its fair share of federal dollars as further evidence of his leadership.

"I gratefully accept the New Jersey Dominican-American Organization's endorsement," Corzine said. "My relationship with New Jersey's Latino community dates back to my days as a United States senator. We have a long, shared, history of nurturing our children, honoring our seniors and protecting those among us who are most vulnerable. I will continue to work every day to advance and protect these priorities."

Santos added, "Governor Corzine has20a long history of making the right decisions on the most difficult of issues facing our communities. Whether it is providing increased access for health care, additional funding for education to ensure our children are best prepared for the job market, or providing the most property tax relief of any governor in state history, the governor has been on the frontlines fighting for things that have directly benefitted our quality of life.''

— TOM HESTER SR., NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM