By Walter Elliott
NEWARK – Members of the respective Democratic and Republican parties faithful in “Local Talk” Land and all of Essex County may decide who will become their next candidates for Sheriff, among other state and municipal-level endorsements, June 8.
Registered Republican and Democratic county voters, indeed, will qualify who will represent them on Nov. 2’s General Election ballot. Those choices include Governor-Lieutenant Governor, all 120 State Legislature seats, party ward district leaders and committee members.
Registered party voters in East Orange and Maplewood will also be choosing who will make the General Election ballot for city council and township committee seats.
County attention, however, has focused on the Democratic primary contest for Sheriff between incumbent Armando B. Fontoura and main challenger John C. Arnold, Jr.
Fontoura is seeking party endorsement towards a record-extending 11th term as sheriff.
The Newark native and Fairfield resident, after 25 years in the Newark Police Department and the sheriff’s office, was first appointed sheriff by outgoing predecessor Thomas D’Alessio in November 1990. D’Alessio resigned as sheriff after he was elected as Essex County Executive.
A majority of county Democratic voters chose Fontoura in the primary over Newark Municipal Council President Ralph Grant. County voters elected Fontoura over Republican Freeholder Arthur L. Clay by an almost 11,000 vote plurality, or 55 versus 45 percent.
In the 2018 General Election, 81 percent of voters chose Fontoura over Caldwell Councilman Pasquale Capozzoli. He ran virtually unopposed in that year’s Democratic primary.
Newarker John Arnold, however, has declared that the time has come for change. The 25-year law enforcer and pastor cites the past year’s climate of Black Lives Matter and calls for police reform and/or defunding for the timing.
Arnold is a 25-year career law enforcer who started with the University of Medicine and Dentistry (now Rutgers) police and rose to become Newark’s Deputy Police Director 2014-16. He meanwhile rose in the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office from detective to lieutenant of detectives 1987-2010.
Arnold, a former U.S. Marine, is an ordained pastor. The 2010 co-founder of Newark’s Temple of Refuge Church currently shepherds Plainfield’s Whosoever Will Church.
Arnold, should he be elected Nov. 2, would become Essex County’s first African American sheriff.
Fontoura and Arnold have jousted before, in 2012’s four-way primary. Party supporters gave Fontoura 72 percent of that vote against Arnold’s 19 percent. Candidates Roger S. Terry and Herman J. Rivera received five and two percent.
There is a third candidate seeking the Democrats’ nod. Barry Jackson had filed a sufficient number of petition signatures to make June 8’s ballot.
Republican voters are meanwhile choosing between Maureen Edelson, of Montclair, and Nicholas G. Pansini, of Bloomfield.
Both Arnold and Fontoura, with their primary campaigns on the homestretch, have been receiving endorsements from various law enforcement unions.
Arnold, on May 18, received an endorsement from the New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association – a 33,000 member organization. NJ PBA President Patrick Colligan’s endorsement followed the Essex County PBA Conference’s April 26 endorsement.
The county conference includes the following PBA locals: Essex County Sheriff’s Office No. 183, Essex County Corrections No. 382, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office No. 325, Belleville No. 28, Bloomfield No. 32, Glen Ridge No. 58, Irvington No. 29, Maplewood No. 44, Montclair No.53, Nutley No. 33, Orange No. 89, South Orange No. 12 and West Orange No. 25.
The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 106, representing Essex County Department of Correctional Police’s superior officers, gave Arnold its endorsement May 6.
Fontoura has received the endorsement of Newark’s Superior Officers Association May 29.
Fontoura has meanwhile picked up endorsements from some key Essex County and New Jersey Democratic Committee figures.
Recent mailed-in Fontoura palm cards, for example, include endorsements from four mayors: Newark’s Ras Baraka, Irvington’s Anthony “Tony” Vauss, East Orange’s Theodore “ted” Green and Orange’s Dwayne D/ Warren, Gov. Phil Murphy (D-Rumson), State Sen. Richard Codey (D-Roseland) and Cong. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) .
Voting for the June 8 primaries are going on now. 8 p.m. Tuesday is when selected voting machine polling stations close and the 24 county-deployed Vote By Mail Ballot drop boxes are locked. Those mailing in their ballots must get a June 8 postmark.
Ballot forms, voting machine locations and other details may be found at essexclerk.com.
