BY WALTER ELLIOTT
NEWARK – Voters faithful to their major political parties cast their picks – from Governor to municipal races in four towns – to represent them on the Nov. 4 General Election ballot.
Voters – with an 18 percent turnout of those registered in Essex County as recorded by County Clerk Christopher Durkin 9:56 p.m. June 10 – selected 30 Democratic or Republican Party candidates for 20 offices in the autumn. Their nominations by in person or mailed-in ballots kept some campaigners running and ended some who have been on the trail for as long as two years.
Some local incumbents’ elections here are tantamount to the general election, given one party’s local predominance over the other. There are some challengers who also had literal “One Person, One Vote” campaigns.
Most of those who were favored by voter majorities had endorsement and support from the Democratic Committees or the Republican Organizations, making in-party challengers’ efforts steeper going.
There were some challenges – like Ras Baraka, Mikie Sherrill and Josh Gottheimer for the Democratic gubernatorial nod and the foursome who contested the General Assembly 34th Legislative District Democratic Party nod – where staying or changing the party course was considered.
The above and below results, as posted by essexclerk.com before 10 p.m. Tuesday, remain unofficial through June 24. There is three days’ grace for Vote By Mail Ballots who have been postmarked before 8 p.m. June 10 within the traditional fortnight for voting machine challengers and recounts before certification.
In Essex County, 100,270 voters so far checked or pushed buttons on their ballots from among a registered voter pool of 557,730. That translates to an 18.06 percent turnout across all 22 municipalities. This is an almost three percent increase from the 15.49 percent turnout for the June 6, 2017 primaries. (Statistics for June 9, 2021 were not available.)
For GOVERNOR, Newark Mayor Baraka won the nomination vote in Essex and Union Counties and Cong. Josh Gottheimer, of Wyckoff, won in Bergen County – but Cong. Mikie Sherrill, of Montclair, prevailed in the other 18 counties to get the Democratic nod.
Baraka and his “Reimagine NJ” campaign came in second statewide to the Essex County Democratic Committee favored Sherrill. Voters cast 267,404 votes or 34 percent for Sherrill and 160,094 or 20.04 for Baraka.
Outgoing Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, who had been running for two years, came in third – 124,723 or 15.9. He had named South Orange Mayor Sheena Collum as his lieutenant governor and had fielded his “Democrats for Change” candidates in selected state assembly and municipal elections.
Gottheimer placed fourth statewide at 92,912 or 11.8. NJEA teachers union president and former one term Montclair mayor Sean Spiller placed fifth with 84,367 or 10.7 – leaving ironworkers union president and former State Senator President Steve Sweeny, W. Deptford, rounded out the balloted field.
Sherrill, in her 9:30 p.m. Tuesday victory speech in Morristown, credited “party leaders and grassroot volunteers” for a good ground game.
The following results, with noted exceptions, are drawn from essexclerk.com and remain unofficial as of press time.
In Essex County, 35,186 voters or 40.30 percent made Baraka their top vote-getter. Sherrill placed second with 29,420 or 33.69. Fulop, 11,682 or 13.38, placed third.
Gottheimer, under “Democrats for Essex County,” was next 5,869 or 6.72. Spiller, “Montclair Essex County Democrats Protecting Our Democracy,” was fifth at 4,439 or 5.08. Sweeney, “Regular Democratic Organization,” completed the field at 719 or .82.
On the Republican ballot, Ciattarelli announced that he, his team, the country Republican organizations and voters had swept all 21 New Jersey counties at the start of his acceptance speech at the former Bell Labs-Holmdel auditorium.
Ciattarelli, “Endorsed by Essex County Republican Party.” topped the results with 9,732 or 77.67 percent. This primary result is a gain on the 4,756 or 57.07 percent he drew June 8, 2021.
Party voters left the four other challengers with single digit percentages, starting with Bill Spadea, of Somerville. The “Common Sense Republican” and former radio show host tallied 1,175 or 9.38.
Lawyer Jon Bramnick, Westfield, “Essex County First Republican,” was next at 869 or 6.94. Former Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario A. Kranjak placed fourth at 618 or 4.93. Contractor Justin Barbera, Vincentown, “Enough is Enough Uncompromised” rounded out the field with 136 or 1.09.
As of press time, the gubernatorial campaign, at $110 million and counting, is the most expensive in state history.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The 27th Legislative District major party ballot has developed into ECDC incumbents Alixon Collazos-Gill and Rosy Bagole against ECRP challengers Adam Kraemer and Robert M. Iommazzo.
On the Democratic side, Collazos-Gill, of Montclair topped the votes at 11,634 or 34.14. Outgoing Livingston Councilwoman Bagole made it close at 11,345 or 33.29.
Blake Michel, West Orange, Teacher Fighting for School Funding,” was best of the rest at 5,835 or 17.12. Rohit Dave, Millburn, rounded out the field at 5,261 or 15.44.
On the Republican ballot, Kraemer, of West Orange, carried 2,263 or 50.23. Iommazzo, of Millburn, received 2,242, or 49.77.
In the 28th LD, incumbent Cleopatra Tucker and newcomer Chigozie Onyema, both ECDC, denied incumbent Garnet Hall, DFC,’s bid in the Democratic primary.
Tucker tallied 11,542 for 38.42. Onyema, who last ran for Newark West Ward Council, was next at 11,029 or 36.71. Hall, of Maplewood, gathered 7,471 or 24.87.
The all-Newark 29th LD contest has shaped up to be a tilt between ECDC incumbents Elana Pintor Marin and Shanique Speight and ECRP challengers Daniela Ferreria Almedia and Noble D. Milton.
Speight was the night’s top vote-getter at 6,675 or 54.17. Pinto Marin was next at 5,647 or 45.83. Almedia amassed 456 or 57. Milton mustered 344 or 43.00.
In the 34th LD, incumbent ECDC assembly members Carmen T. Morales and Michael Venezia are to face ECRP challengers Demetrius Eley and Lortenzo Marchese Nov. 4.
Morales, of Belleville, drew 12,267 or 33.73. and Venezia, of Bloomfield, earned 9,696 or 26.66.
Former East Orange councilwoman Brittany Claybrooks, Democrats for Change, at 8,778 or 24.14, came within 2.5 percent of unseating Venezia. Current Belleville Councilman and DFC runner Frank Velez completed the field with 5,623 or 15.46.
Republican Marchese, of Nutley, mustered 2,740 or 60.66. Eley, of East Orange, gained 1,777 or 39.34.
The ESSEX COUNTY CLERK General Election major party contest is to be between Democratic incumbent Christopher Durkin and Republican challenger Marizta Mathew.
Durkin, ECDC and of W. Caldwell drew all 76,044 votes cast. Mathew, ECRP and of Newark, mustered all 10,491 votes.
MUNICIPAL RACES
East Orange Mayor Theodore “Ted” Green bested challenger Narda Morant by a six to one ratio. The ECDC Democratic incumbent gathered 6,260 or 81.12. Morant, “Empowering the People You Deserve Better,” mustered 1,457 or 18.88.
The EDCD-backed Team Green was otherwise one person, one vote for this year’s ward council races.
First Ward Council President Christopher D. James garnered all 1,708 votes. Second Ward incumbent Christopher Awe amassed 1,050, Third Ward incumbent Bergson Leneus, received all 1,480.
Fourth Ward Councilwoman Tameika Garrett-Ward won with 1,259. Alicia Holman was returned to the Fifth Ward with 1,575.
In the Maplewood Township Committee Democratic primary, Jane Collins-Colding carried the nomination over Maxwell Jacob Kravitz, by a three-to-one ratio.
Collins-Colding, ECDC, tallied 3,541 or 63.45. Kravitz, “Building a New Progressive Future Together,” gathered 2,040 or 36.55.
In Bloomfield, incumbent Mayor Jenny Mundell and her ECDC-supported council team turned back all but one “Democrats for Change challengers.
Mundell, the former First Ward Councilwoman, got her nomination for her first fully-elected mayoral term by receiving all 5,566 party votes.
Rosalee Gonzalez, EDCD, got the party nod to fill out the remainder of Mundell First Ward term over DFC runner Stefanie Santiago. Gonzalez gathered 961 or 56.36 to Santiago’s 744 or 43.64.
Mundell’s running mates also denied DFC challengers for the three nods for At-Large Ward Council.
Incumbent Monica Charris-Tabares was the night’s top vote-getter at 3,872 or 26.18 Running mate and outgoing Bloomfield Board of Education President Jill Fischman was next 3,019 or 20.40.
Tracy Toler-Phillips, DFC, goth the final seat nomination from ECDC-backed Widney Polynice Toler-Philips amassed 2,876 or 19.45 to Polynice’s 2,535 or 17.82.
Satenik Margaryan, DFC, completed the field at 2,387 or 16.14.
There were no results – or candidates – on the ballot for the two Glen Ridge Borough Council seats. Borough voters prefer to wait for the General Election.
