By Max Pizarro

As Newark prepares to formally digest the announcement of former New York City Superintendent Cami Anderson as Gov. Chris Christie's choice to serve as superintendent of schools, the advisory board last night selected Eliana Pintor Marin as chair of the schools advisory board.

The top vote-getter in last week's school board elections, Pintor Marin had the backing of East Ward Democratic leader Joe Parlavecchio (right) and North Ward Democratic leader Steve Adubato (left).

"A winner?' Adubato said last night at a West Orange fundraiser for his acolyte turned power broker in his own right, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo, Jr.

He was referring to PolitickerNJ.com's selection of Central High School Principal/South Ward Councilman Ras Baraka as a winner on last week's Winners and Losers list, just as the schools advisory board in Newark was voting in Pintor Marin as advisory board chair and Shanique Speight - a second Adubato ally - as vice chair.

The board's 5-4 elevation of those members came a day after Baraka ally Antoinette Baskerville-Richardson earned a third seat on the advisory board following a provisional ballot count. Her victory - along with that of Alturrick Kenney last Wednesday - gave Baraka the necessary votes to earn a 2-1 victory over Adubato. Despite losing the election, however, Adubato had sufficient backroom prowess to maneuver his people into the two power seats, over Kenney, who contested for the chairman's seat.