Photo courtesy of Jersey Journal.
The Hudson County Democratic Organization dominated the competition with nearly every position filled by a Democrat. However, the race did not go without its upsets.
Kearny had to find a new mayor when the former Mayor Al Santos was confirmed as a Superior Court judge after serving 24 years in the position. Eyes were on the Democratic Party-approved Peter Satana but Independent runner Carol Jean Doyle stole the contest.
Not only is Doyle one of the few non-Democrat winners, but she is the first female mayor to be elected by voters in Kearny’s history. She was sworn in on Nov. 8 at Kearny’s Town Hall.
Most candidates were also incumbents and some positions went uncontested including Craig Guy for County Executive who is the longtime Chief of Staff to his predecessor Tom DeGise.
Here’s a look at the rest of the winners.
State-wide
Senator M. Teresa Ruiz (D) will begin her 16th year as the 29th District Representative while also holding the position of Senate Majority Leader. Ruiz took the position in 2007 becoming the first Puerto Rican elected to the Senate and highest ranking Latina legislator in state history.
Ruiz recently sponsored a policy requiring middle and high schools in the district to provide menstrual products for free. It was signed by Murphy in August.
Angela V. McKnight (D) won the 31st Legislative District Senate seat, which was previously held by Sandra B. Cunningham since 2007.
Before this election, she served on the General Assembly since 2016, participated in various committees including Aging and Senior Services, where she is the chair, and has been active in Hudson County communities.
State Senate for the 32nd Legislative District has a new senator after North Bergen mayor Nicholas J. Sacco did not run for re-election. District 33 assembly member Raj Mukherji (D) is now taking up the position.
Mukherji also works as a healthcare lawyer and investor and once was an information technology CEO before selling the business. His background leads him to emphasize legislation on economic development and job creation.
Brian P. Stack (D) won the 33rd district State Senate position by a landslide, his Republican opponent receiving less than three percent of the votes. Stack has held this job since 2008.
In this 15-year career, Stack joined the Senate Judiciary as chair and the Senate Community and Urban Affairs committee as vice-chair. He is also the mayor of Union City.
County-wide
Craig Guy (D) had a runaway victory for the County Executive with no opposing parties. During the primaries, progressive democrat Eleana Little went against the Hudson County Democrat backed candidate, but Guy prevailed in the end.
During Guy’s campaign, he emphasized affordable housing and promoting progressive values. Guy takes over a position that DeGise held since 2003 and will end on Dec. 31, 2023.
This new era of the County Executive is sure to keep a close eye on.
Most of the County Commissioner elections went unopposed letting the Hudson County Democrats sweep the floor.
There was only one winner who was not an incumbent–or current position holder–and most ballots went unopposed. The Hudson County Democrats have had a strong foothold in the County Commissioner for years as most elections go unopposed.
Accompanied with the low voter turnout, citizens do not have much of a choice in picking their County Commissioner who perform both legislative and executive duties in the state.
Municipal
East Newark welcomed back Mayor Dina M. Grilo for another term.
She was first elected in 2020, becoming the borough’s first female mayor. Grilo’s time in office was marked by implementing the “Biden-Harris Get the Lead Out Partnership,” which accelerates the replacement of lead pipes in East Newark.
For full results of New Jersey’s 2023 elections, visit here.
