Sharpe James, the former longtime mayor of Newark, New Jersey, has died. He was 89. The charismatic mayor oversaw efforts to attract development to the Newark's downtown, but his political accomplishments were marred by a corruption conviction. His son, John Sharpe James, a former Newark city council person, said his father died Sunday. He was 89. Sharpe James never lost an election and was elected mayor in Newark five times. He became a larger-than-life figure and one of the state’s most powerful politicians. As his political career wound down, he became the focus of a federal investigation and was convicted in 2008 on corruption charges.
