BY WALTER ELLIOTT
Photo By Felicia Laguerre Owens
NEWARK – Election 2025, from the gubernatorial race down to the municipal and board of education races, have unofficially played mostly to anticipated form as of press time.
Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) carried Essex County and “Local Talk” territory as anticipated to succeed the term-limited Phil Murphy (D-Rumson) – but with a 57.2 percent statewide popular vote over the 42.5 percent for Jack Ciattarelli (R-Clinton) as of 9:23 p.m. Nov. 4. Some forecasters had predicted a closer margin between the now-outgoing Congressional District 11 House Member and the former New Jersey General Assemblyman.
The Assembly seats – all of whom were up for election statewide Tuesday night – went to that anticipated incumbents and newcomers here in “Local Talk Land.” The Newark Central Ward Special Election, however, produced a narrower plurality.
One had to look hard to find the few upsets among the federal, state, county and local election results.
The following figures, as posted 10:09 p.m. Tuesday on essexclerk.com, are unofficial through Nov. 18. The fortnight’s voting machine impoundment by the State Police allows time for any result challenges and recounts. It also gives Vote By Mail Ballots until 4 p.m. Nov. 10 to be received by the elections division headquarters here to be counted.
There were 229,252 ballots cast so far from an Essex County pool of 563,312 registered voters for a 40.70 percent participation rate. Only nine of the 575 voting machines deployed among the 22 municipalities were not used. There was a 90-98 percent voting district reporting rate.
Tuesday’s election was conducted with minimal malfunctions or mishaps. Law enforcers here and in West Orange confirmed that they were among those public schools across several states who received anonymous emailed bomb threats. Newark’s police, public schools and FBI field office said that one threat on Gotthard Street was “unfounded.” There were “no credible threats” to West Orange’s Gregory, Hazel and Washington elementary schools.
GOVERNOR / LT. GOVERNOR
A majority of participating countywide voters carried the Democratic Sherrill /Dr. Dale G. Caldwell (New Brunswick) ticket by a nearly three-to-one ratio. Sherrill/Caldwell drew 171,765 for 76.19. Ciattarelli/Morris County Sheriff James Gannon (Boonton) carried 53,301 for 23.37 percent.
Libertarians Vic Kaplan (Stanhope) and Bruno Pereira (Newton) polled 561 for .25 percent. Socialist Workers Joanne S. Kuniansky (Jersey City) Craig Honts (Union City) drew 445 for .20.
There has been no results posted as of press time for Green Party write-in Lili Benavides (Hillsborough).
GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Select Two)
Voters in the 27th: Legislative District (Montclair, West Orange, Livingston, Millburn, Roseland and Passaic County’s Clifton)) returned incumbent Democrats Rosy Bagolie (Livingston) and Alixon-Collazos-Gill (Montclair) over Republican runners Robert M. Iommazzo (Millburn) and Adam Kraemer (West Orange) NOTE: The following results figures does not include those reported from Clifton.
Bagolie bested Collazos-Gill as top tallier – 39,566 or 37.69 to 37,981 or 36.18. Kraemer, who perennially runs for various local offices, carried 14,156 or 13.49. Iommazzo drew 13,268 or 12.64.
In the 28th LD (Irvington, South Orange parts of Newark’s South and West wards), incumbent Newarker Cleopatra Tucker and former Newark West Ward council candidate Chigozie Onyema, both Democrats, fought over popular vote tallies in an otherwise uncontested campaign.
Tucker tallied 39,214 or 50.38 percent for bragging rights over first-time Assembly runner Onyema’s 38,618 or 49.62.
In the 29th LD (Rest of Newark), voters granted incumbent Democrats Eliana Pintor Marin and Shanique Speight new terms over Republican challengers Noble D. Milton and Daniela Ferriera Almeida in an all-Newark contest.
Pintor-Marin edged Speight – 20,830 or 42.73 to 48,745 or 42.54 – as top district vote-getter. Almeida amassed 3,703 or 7.60 and Milton mustered 3,475 or 7.15.
Voters in the 34h LD (East Orange, Orange, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Belleville, Nutley) helped incumbent Democrats Carmen T. Morales (Belleville) and Michael Venezia (Bloomfield) repel Republican candidates Demetrius Eley (East Orange) and Lorenzo Marchese, Jr. (Nutley).
Morales mustered 45,895 or 39.23 while Venezia drew 44,711 or 38.21. Marchese edged Eley for third place — 13,551 or 11.58 over 12,844 or 10.98.
ESSEX COUNTY CLERK
Countywide voters helped Christiopher J. Durkin (D-West Caldwell) to a comfortable re-election over Maritza Mathews (R-Newark) by a roughly four-to-one ratio.
Durkin drew 162,468 or 78.02 against Mathews’ 45,782 or 21.98.
MUNICIPAL RACES
In NEWARK’s Central Ward Council Special Election, Amina Bey – backed by Mayor Ras Baraka – was voted into her first term over former Central Ward Councilwoman Gayle Chaneyfield Jenkins by 112 votes or 1.43 percent.
Bey, Chaneyfield Jenkins, George Tillman and Jhamar T. Youngblood were contesting before voters in a nonpartisan election to complete the now-Cong. LaMonica McIver’s unexpired term.
Former WISOMMM founder and charter school president Bey received 3,097 votes or 39.52 percent under her “A Bold Choice for the Central Ward” banner. Chaneyfield Jenkins, who ran with her “Leadership That Will Work For You” slogan, garnered 2,985 or 38.09.
Newcomer Youngblood finished third with 951 or 12.14. Tillman, who ran on his “End Poverty Through Employment & Entrepreneurship” platform, tallied 705 or 9.0.
Senior citizens advocate Walter T. Jacobs received 98 votes for 1.25 percent despite suspending his campaign and walking away during a Sept. 25 NAACP-Newark Branch sponsored candidates forum. His withdrawal came too late to change the ballot.
In IRVINGTON, West Ward voters returned an old-new face in Luis Antelius to fill out the retired Vernon Cox’s remaining term.
Antilus – a former Irvington Public Schools Board of Education member who was first appointed to succeed Cox on the Township Council, amassed all 1,688 votes in the uncontested election.
“Local Talk” had spotted Antilus for getting his “Democrat for Council” onto the ballot. Irvington’s municipal and school board elections are run as nonpartisan.
In EAST ORANGE voters helped the incumbent East Orange Democratic Committee Mayor Theodore “Ted” Green and his uncontested “Green Team” mates “bat 1,000.”
Green garnered all 14,258 votes cast for him. Current City Council President Christopher D. James was returned to his First Ward seat with all 3,405. Second Ward Councilman Christopher Awe was “awesome” with 2,199.
Former East Orange School District member and Third Ward Bergson Leneus, with all of his 2,972 votes, was the night’s top vote-getter here.
Fourth Ward Councilwoman Tameika Garrett-Ward was returned with all 2,451 votes. Fifth Ward Alicia Holman had all 2,944 votes.
In the SOUTH ORANGE Village Council Election (Select Three), The three “South Orange 2025: Leadership in Action” swept into office uncontested with a 320 vote spread.
Patricia Canning edged fellow newcomer Hannah Zollman by 181 markers as top vote-getter. Canning carried 5,199 or 34.21 while Zollman earned 5,019 or 33.03. Running mate and Councilman William A. “Bill” Haskins completed the ballot field with 4,979 or 32.75. Haskins was this election cycle’s sole running incumbent.
Voters approved doubling the village’s Open Space Public Question, doubling the one cent per 100 of assessed property value to two cents – by a 70 percent to 30 percent split. 3,715 voters, or 71.01, said “Yes” to 1,715, or 28.99 “No” votes.
Mayor Sheena Collum felt she had to “set the record straight” about the Open Space Trust Fund and the public question referendum at the Oct. 27 council meeting. Collum explained that the trust fund, which also helps historic preservation in the village, has been around for 26 years and has been transparent in its operation. The mayor called the anonymous emails that the trust fund was only for open space “a rhetorical ‘straw man’ – where you try and change your opponent’s argument in order to make it easy to attack.”
WEST ORANGE voters returned a former councilwoman from among a field of seven familiar and fresh faces to complete a resigned council member’s term in a special nonpartisan election.
Tammy Williams, who was voted out of office last year, got the succession nod with 4,247 votes or 25.36 percent. She had a 769 vote plurality over newcomer Justin Goldsman’s 3,428 or 20.47.
Former Council President Rev. William “Bill” Rutherford came in third at 3,352 or 20.02. Jennifer Stacey Ionio was next at 2,142 or 12.79. Kenneth Gibbons completed the top five finishers with 1,831 or 10.93. Jerry Companion carried 951 or 5.58. David Allan Matheson completed the ballot with 704 or 4.74.
MAPLEWOOD voters faced a “One Woman One Vote” ballot circumstance with Jane Collins-Colding. Collins-Colding carried all 9,628 votes in an uncontested election; The Maplewood Republican Committee did not field a candidate this year.
Collins-Colding is now poised to succeed Committeewoman and outgoing former mayor Deborah Engle Jan. 1. She and her incumbent committee-mates will select a mayor from among themselves at their annual reorganization meeting.
BLOOMFIELD voters helped the Bloomfield Democratic Committee slate turn back two “Unbought, Unbossed, Independent” Libertarian candidates.
Incumbent Democratic Mayor Jenny Mundell outdrew Libertarian Joan Hussey by a nearly four-to-one ratio.
Former First Ward Councilwoman Mundell amassed 11,816 or 80.34 for her first election to a full term. Hussey had 2,891 or 19.66.
It was “One Woman One Vote” for Mundell’s First Ward successor Rosalee Gonzalez. Gonzalez, who was on Mundel’s slate, got to complete the latter’s unexpired term with a “perfect” 4,074 tally.
At-Large Council (Select Three), Mundell running mates Monica Charris Tabares, Jill Fischman and Tracy Toler Phillips denied Libertarian Jonathan Mejia’s bid.
Incumbent Tabares topped the vote standings with 12,126 or 32.14. Former Bloomfield Board of Education president Fischman edged fellow rookie runner Phillips – 12,126 or 30.98 to 11,690 or 29.90. Mejia mustered 2,636 or 6.99.
In GLEN RIDGE, Borough Council voters filled both open seats with Cicic Conference Committee-endorsed candidates Richard Law and Anthony Turiano – with Law getting vote total bragging rights by 10 points. Law got 1,787 or 50.14. Turiano tallied 1,777 or 49.86.
BOARDS of EDUCATION (Select Three)
ORANGE voters split tickets to grant Shawneque Johnson, Jared Adams and Antoine Tyrece Chapman, Jr. three-year terms.
Board President Johnson amassed 2,370 or 22.09 as the top vote-getter. “ONE for Orange/Orange Children’s Team” colleague and newcomer Adams was next at 1,705 or 15.83. Chapman, “Equity Through Education,” caught the third and last OBOE seat with 1,545 or 14.85.
“ONE/Orange Children’s” running mate Andrew Coates was “best of the rest” at 1,289 or 11.97. Veronica “Equity in Education” Scott was next with 1,290 or 11.99.
The Tyrone Jon Tarver, Carolyn McMillian, Darnnelle Gibbs “Citizens for Education” team completed the ballot. Former Board President Tarver tallied 890 or 8.27. McMillan mustered 875 or 8.13 and Gibbs got 794 or 7.37.
Tarver, who has 10 years’ election campaign experience, was unable to be in person last week. One of the first elected Orange Board of Education members posted on his Facebook account Nov. 2 that he had been scheduled for surgery the next day for “an unscheduled medical emergency.”
WEST ORANGE (Select Two) voters returned “For the Kids” incumbents Dia N. Bryant and Robert Ikver over two other challengers. Bryant topped the tally chart with 7,369 or 30.98. Ikver was next at 6,575 or 27.59.
Susan Palmucci placed third with 5,084 or 23.34. Noha Sadnay, “Equity, Excellence, Education,” completed the field at 4,801 or 20.13.
In SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD (Select Three), voters chose one slate of new- coming runners over the other. All the candidates happen to reside in Maplewood.
“Listen Learn Lead” runners Malini Nayar Meredith Higgins and Paul Stephan were swept into the three open seats.
Nayar garnered 8,355 or 19.42. Higgins hauled 8,035 or 18.68. Stephan secured the last open seat with 7,720 or 17.95.
Daniel Caplan led the “Progress. Partnership. Promise” platform by placing fourth at 6,376 or 14.82. Ashley Donahue was next at 6,278 or 14.59. Ashwart Rishi completed the field at 6,256 or 14.54.
BLOOMFIELD voters split tickets to pick Deanna Wilson, Andrew Lomonte and Keri Joyce from among a field of seven.
“Stronger Schools Now” runner Wilson was the night’s vote topper at 3,915 or 18.97. “Stronger” colleague Joyce took the third board seat with 4,970 or 16.20. Lomonte, who ran on the “For the Students” platform, placed second with 5,242 or 17.08.
“For the Students” running-mates Quan R. Miller, 4,433 or 14.45, and Thomas Heany, 4,002 or 13.04, were “the best of the rest.
“Stronger” runner Jelani Jeffrey was next at 3,984 or 16.20. Former board member Benjamin “One for All” Morse rounded out the field at 2,387 or 7.78.
MONTCLAIR voters chose newcomer Keri McMahon, former Montclair Public Schools member Sean Long and current Board President Yvonne Bouknight as their three panelists.
McMahon and her “Stronger Schools Now” campaign mustered 10,580 or 14.79. Long, “Champion Student Achievement,” was next at 7,153 or 23.52. Bouknight, “Access, Achieve, Advance,” kept her seat with 6,500 or 21.37.
Mike Horowitz and his “Paradigm Shift” campaign was next at 4,014 or 13.20, Incumbent member Brian Fleischer, who suspended his campaign Oct. 20, finished with 2,167 or 7.13.
Write-in candidate Chrissy Thomas’ votes had not been counted as of press time. The County Clerk-Elections Division tends to count write-in, absentee and provisional ballots last and have a fortnight to do so.
In GLEN RIDGE, voters selected the three Civic Conference Committee-recommended candidates – Tricia Akinwande, Elisabeth Ginsburg and Luke Franklin – over former Glen Ridge Public Schools member Heather Yaros-Ramos.
Incumbents Akinwande and Ginsburg topped the results table at 2,010 or 29.26 and 1,815 or 26.42. Franklin garnered the last board seat with 1,779 or 25.30 Yaros-Ramos registered 1,266 or 18.43.
BELLEVILLE voters split their tickets to bring Cristina Garro, Yadira Munoz and Kenia Arroyabe onto the Belleville Board of Education Trustees panel from a field of eight candidates.
Garro, under her own “Moms for Belleville” banner, topped the results charts at 3,915 or 2082.
Munoz and Arroyabe were two of the three “Better Belleville BOE” teammates who made the cut. Munoz mustered 2,915 or 15.50 and Arroyabe 2,656 or 14.12.
Running mate Ana Mansilla was “the best of the rest” at 2,531 or 13.41. “Better Belleville BOE” was an iteration of “Better Belleville” school board and municipal candidates managed by Mayor Michale Melham.
“Building Futures Together” teammates Nicole Coviello Daddis and Gabrielle V. Bennett-Meany came in fifth and sixth. Former Trustee Coviello-Daddis attained 2,208 or 11.74. The now-outgoing Board President Bennett-Meany mustered 2,188 or 11.64.
Former Trustee Michael “Fix Our BOE” Sheldon received 1,363 or 7.25. Michael L. Derro, and his “A New Beginning” campaign carried 1,029 or 5.47.
NUTLEY voters were left to determine who would be the top vote-getter – which went to former NBOE member Theresa “Terri” Quirk – from the three uncontested candidates.
Quirk, “Putting Students First,” got 6,320 or 37.53. Tom D’Elia placed second at 5,453 or 32.38. Steffan R. Delpiano, “Reconnect Our Community.,” completed the winners podium with 50.69 or 30.10.
