BY WALTER ELLIOTT
NEWARK – Inauguration Week 2024 is more than just the annual peaceful transfer of political power among 11 of “Local Talk’s” towns, the Essex County Board of Commissioners here and in the State House in Trenton Jan. 1- 9.
A majority of registered “Local Talk” area voters who mostly had their say in the Nov. 7 General Election elected 22 new or semi-new people into seats on the State Legislature, the Essex County Board of Commissioners and, on the local level, nine municipal and/or boards of education.
Those 22 sworn into their new positions make up 35 percent of the 58 seats on Nov. 7’s ballot. By “mostly,” there are several municipalities who have named or about to name successors to mayor, deputy mayor, and/or school board president and vice president independently of election results.
The biggest shakeup, to culminate with Jan. 9’s inauguration in Trenton, is found among the four legislative districts that represent “Local Talk” land, amounting to the changing of a generational guard.
The 27th, 28th, 29th and 34th Legislative Districts, like all 40 in New Jersey, had its 120 State Senate and General Assembly seats up for voters’ choice. 2023, however, was the first year of the 2020-21 US census-driven decennial redistricting.
Incumbent senators and assembly members found themselves in neighboring districts by the redrawing. Many were facing the prospect of running against their neighboring colleges.
Nine incumbents decided to retire or not seek re-election. Three assembly members, with Essex County Democratic Committee endorsement, successfully ran for senate. One incumbent was defeated in the June 6 primary by a colleague – only for the primary victor to end his campaign in August and set his retirement for Jan. 6.
Voters in two Local Talk towns unseated board of education incumbents. Two appointees in their respective Irvington state senate and township council seats won their respective first elected terms.
STATE LEGISLATURE
LD 27 (West Orange, Montclair, “West Essex’s” Livingston and Roseland plus Passaic County’s Clifton):
Outgoing “old 34th District” Assemblyman John McKeon was elected to succeed the retiring Richard Codey, of Roseland. McKeon, a former West Orange mayor, and Codey, however, had won their respective June 6 party primaries for assembly and state senate re-election.
McKeon was assemblyman of the “Old 34th LD,” until West Orange and Montclair were moved into the “New 27th” by redistricting. Former governor and senate president Codey meanwhile survived a primary joust against “Old 34th.”
Sen. Nia Gill, while strong in Montclair, was unable to make gains in some of the New 27th’s other towns. Orange native Codey then announced his withdrawal from the General Election in August and made Jan. 9 his career sunset.
East Orange’s LeRoy Jones called for a convention with other municipal Democratic committee chairpersons and members. McKeon, after surviving in-and-out bids by Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill and wife Alixos Callazos-Gill, accepted his new run for senate.
Callazos-Gill, of Montclair, and outgoing Livingston Councilwoman Rosanne “Roxy” Bagolie accepted making their first assembly runs – and were elected. They succeeded McKeon and the retiring Mila Jasey, of South Orange.
LD 28 (Irvington, South Orange, Maplewood, Newark’s “southwest” and Vailsburg-West Wards plus Union County’s Hillside):
Voters elected the appointed Sen. Renee Burgess to her first elected term. The outgoing Irvington Township Council President and former Irvington Board of Education president ran unopposed.
Burgess was appointed to succeed Ronald L. Rice, of Newark, who resigned Aug. 31, 2022 to focus on his battle against cancer. The longtime legislator died March 15, 2023.
Newcomer Garnett Hall, of Maplewood, was elected to the General Assembly on the same ECDC-endorsed ticket with incumbent Cleopatra Tucker, of Newark.
Hall succeeded two General Assembly members. Jacqueline “Jackie” Yustein, of Glen Ridge, was appointed to the post April 15 after Ralph Caputo, of Nutley, resigned March 22. The longtime assemblyman left to take a seat on Blue Cross/Blue Shield of NJ’s board of directors.
LD 29 (Newark’s North, East, Central, “southwest” and “West Side” wards):
For the record, incumbent Sen. M. Teresa Ruiz and assemblywomen Elina Pintor-Marin and Shanique Speight, both on the ECDC ticket, were re-elected.
LD 34 (East Orange, Orange, Bloomfield, Glen Ridge, Belleville, Nutley):
Voters ratified outgoing assemblywoman Britnee Timberlake, of East Orange, to take the lateral promotion of state senator. Timberlake succeeded McKeon.
Newcomer Carmen Morales, of Belleville, and outgoing Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia received voters’ nods for General Assembly members. Morales succeeds Timberlake.
Venezia, depending on one’s perspective, technically succeeded Yuestein. He has meanwhile set his resignation as Bloomfield mayor for Jan. 9.
ESSEX COUNTY COMMISSIONER, SECOND DISTRICT (Irvington, Maplewood, parts of Newark’s South and Central Wards):
Outgoing Newark Public Schools Board of Education Member A’Dorian Murray-Thomas was elected Nov. 7 to succeed the retiring Rufus Jonson, of Newark. Murray-Thomas has since resigned from the Newark schools board.
Whether Wayne Richardson, of Newark, and Vice President Carlos M. Pomares, of Bloomfield, will get to keep their seats will be known after Murray-Thomas’ swearing in at the Donald M. Payne, Sr. School of Technology Auditorium 6 p.m. Jan. 2
MUNICIPAL LEVEL
In IRVINGTON’S SPECIAL COUNCIL ELECTION, Darlene Brown ran uncontested to complete Burgess’ Township Council unexpired term. The Team Irvington Strong candidate was scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 2.
In EAST ORANGE, First-time campaigners Sameed Monk and Naima Fauntleroy were respectively elected to the open Second and Fifth Ward seats. Monk succeeds the outgoing Brittany Claybrooks; Fauntleroy succeeds Mustafa Al-M. Brent.
All 10 Council Members selected Third Ward Councilman Vernon Pullens, Jr. to succeed City Second Ward Councilman Christopher Awe as their Council Chairman this year. The former East Orange School District member was re-elected into his third term Nov. 7.
A new WEST ORANGE Council President was sworn in Jan. 2 although there were no Township Council elections held in 2023.
Four of five council members voted second-term Councilman Rev. William “Bill” Rutherford Dec. 19 to succeed Councilwoman Tammy Williams. Rutherford retains his senior pastorship in Orange’s Ebenezer Baptist Church.
In MAPLEWOOD, Democratic incumbent Township Committee candidates Dean Dafis and Victor de Luca, while re-elected unopposed Nov. 7, yielded their respective Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts Jan. 1.
They and the rest of the five TC members voted Nancy Adams and Jasmine Cripe as mayor and deputy mayor at their Dec. 19 meeting, effective at Noon Monday’s annual reorganization meeting. Maplewood and Nutley are the only “Local Talk” towns where township committee or commission members select a mayor and deputy mayor from amongst themselves.
In BLOOMFIELD, that township’s Democratic committee may announce Michael Venezia’s successor as mayor at their Jan. 4 regular or Jan. 8 conference meetings. It is not known as of press time whether the new mayor will be sworn in on those dates or at a later special meeting. Venezia steps down while taking his General Assembly oath of office in Trenton Jan. 9.
In GLEN RIDGE, Friday, Jan. 3 will be borough residents’ first opportunity to learn whether Council President Deborah Mans will be named mayor. Mans was Nov. 7’s top vote-getter.
The Borough Council, however, may call for resumes for potential council successors to Mans should she be named mayor. Former mayor Daniel T. Murphy was appointed when then-Councilman Stuart K. Patrick was named mayor in 2016.
Campaign debutant Lori Jean Moody and incumbent David Lefkovits were elected and re-elected to their Borough Council seats. Former councilman and mayor Murphy declined running for re-election.
BOARDS OF EDUCATION
In WEST ORANGE, Maria Vera is to be sworn into Melinda Huertas’ board seat during the Jan. 4 reorganization meeting. Voters favored first-timer Vera over first-termer Huertas Nov. 7. Brian Rock is the five-member panel’s board president entering Thursday night.
The MAPLEWOOD – SOUTH ORANGE SCHOOL DISTRICT will have three new members to swear in at its Jan. 4 reorganization meeting – and then pick a new president and a new vice president.
A majority of two-town voters picked Shayna Sackett-Gable and Will Meyer, both of South Orange, and Maplewoodian Elizabeth “Liz” Callahan over a pair of write-in candidates Nov. 7.
First Vice President Elissa Malespina and fellow first-termer Courtney Winkfield decided to pursue re-election. Johanna Wright also decided to call time on her long tenure – only for the board to re-appoint her to fill an absence.
Kaitlin Wiitleder remains as Board President and Nubia DuVall Wilson Second Vice President entering Thursday night’s meeting.
In BLOOMFIELD, newcomer Stephanie Parry will be sworn into her board seat during their Jan. 2 reorganization meeting. Parry ran with re-elected incumbents Kasey Dudley and Nadiesha Greene Nov. 7.
Jill Fischman and Dudley are the board’s president and vice president into the 6 p.m. Tuesday reorganization.
In MONTCLAIR, who will be named board president and vice president for 2024 is about the only matter in suspense ahead of their Jan. 4 reorganization meeting.
Current President Allison Silverstein, and incumbent members Melanie Deysher and Phaedra Dunn were allowed by Nov. 7 voters to have their first full three-year terms. The Montclair Board of Education is in the midst of transitioning from a mayor-appointed to a voter-elected panel.
Crystal Hopkins is the board’s vice president until at least their Thursday night meeting.
In GLEN RIDGE, newcomer Darius Kevin Dehnad will be sworn onto the Glen Ridge Public Schools board along with incumbents and Nov. 7 running mates Joycelyn Gottlieb and Duval Hopkins Graham here 7 p.m. Jan. 3.
Elisabeth Ginzburg is the board president going into Wednesday’s reorganization meeting. Tracey St. Auburn and David Campbell are its respective first and second vice presidents.
In BELLEVILLE, who will be named as Trustees president and vice president will be made after Esteban Leon, Lissa Missagga and Brenda Pachero are sworn-in as first-time members Jan. 2 at 6 p.m.
Voters chose to succeed campaigning incumbents Nelson Barrera and Erika V. Jacho Nov. 7. Outgoing BOT President Luis Muniz withdrew from his campaign. Gabrielle Bennett-Meany remains its vice president until at least Tuesday night.
In NUTLEY, the only suspense in the school board’s reorganization Jan. 3 is whether Salvatore Ferraro and Salvatore Balsamo will get to keep their presidency and vice presidency.
Ferraro, Balsamo and fellow incumbent Lisa Duchak-Martin were re-elected in a four-way race Nov. 7.
