May 13

Several new mayors will take office today after winning the May 13 non-partisan municipal elections, including Wilda Diaz in Perth Amboy, Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. in Orange, Jerry Fried in Montclair, Robert Romano in Vineland, and Edward Mahaney in Cape May City.

Paul Aronsohn, the former press secretary to Gov. James E. McGreevey who lost a bid for Congress in 2006 by eleven percentage points, is now a Ridgewood Councilman-elect. He was among three challengers who ousted two incumbents in Tuesday’s non-partisan municipal races. Aronsohn’s election to public office makes it more likely that he’ll seek higher office again in the future; that could be as early as July, when the new five-member Council meets to elect a Mayor.

Of the four Mayors running in yesterday’s non-partisan municipal election who are elected directly by the voters, only one survived: Mahwah Mayor Richard Martel defeated former Councilman Gary Paton by a 64%-36% margin. Incumbents were defeated in Vineland, Perth Amboy and Cape May City. Mayors did not seek re-election in Orange (where Mims Hackett is under federal indictment), Montclair, Delran, Bradley Beach and Spotswood.

IRVINGTON - All of the incumbents won here, including North WardAt -Large Councilman David Lyons wins Councilman David Lyons, who eked out a victory over tough challenger Gene Etchison, a Newark police detective.

Often the lone dissenter on Irvington’s City Council, Lyons won 451 votes (51% ) to Etchison’s 427 votes (49%).

Lyons’s West Ward running mate, Keith White, lost to Council President John Sowell. In that ward, the incumbent earned 345 votes (60%) to White’s 222 (38%). A third candidate in the race, Cedric Hunter, earned just 9 votes.

A three-term incumbent, Lyons received the backing of Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) in his second close win over Etchison in four years.

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., and his sister, Hillary, moments after they learned of victory. 

ORANGE - A few Orange city blocks separate the campaign headquarters of Donald Page and Eldridge Hawkins, but a wide gulf of emotion opened up after 9 p.m. when the results of the mayor’s race came down from City Hall and Hawkins won.

In a six-way race, Hawkins defeated Page by a margin of 30-27%, or 1,061 to 942 votes, to deal a heartbreaking loss to the forces of the long-serving councilman.

"We did it," said a jubilant Hawkins, surrounded by family and supporters, including state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) in his campaign headquarters behind Sandwiches Unlimited on Center Street.

"He was a great candidate," said Codey, an Orange native who backed the 28-year old West Orange patrolman amid controversy about the candidate’s short-time residency in Orange.

Nutley Mayor Joanne Cocchiola, who won re-election tonight by one of the biggest margins in local history, has bucked a historical trend that has denied every mayor a second consecutive term since at least 1968.

Nutley has a Commissioner form of government and all five commissioners are elected in one election held every four years. By tradition, the top vote-getter becomes Mayor. In 2004, Cocchiola became Nutley’s first woman Mayor when she led Mauro Tucci by 55 votes (and incumbent Peter Scarpelli by 686 votes) in the race for Commissioner.

BELLEVILLE - Incumbent councilmen, running mates Steve Rovell and Councilman John Notari: victoriousJohn Notari turned back challengers Mario Drozdz and Thomas Salzano in wards 3 and 4 respectively.

In Ward 1, Councilwoman Marie Strumolo Burke defeated challenger Peter Zangari.

Rovell was the town's highest vote-getter tonight. He received 710 votes, or 61% against Drozdz, who got 447, or 39%.

Notari beat Salzano, 625 to 211 votes, while Strumolo-Burke defeated Zangari by a 72-28% margin, 612 to 237 votes.

Perth Amboy Mayor Joe Vas lost re-election tonightJoseph Vas, the Mayor of Perth Amboy since 1990, was defeated in his bid for a sixth term tonight, losing by wide margin to Wilda Diaz, a political newcomer and community activist. Diaz defeated Vas by a 61%-39% margin, 4,095-2,658. Diaz’s slate of Council candidates also won.

Garfield voters re-elected four incumbents, but ousted longtime Councilman James Krone, a former Mayor.  Challenger Tana Raymond beat Krone by 28 votes, 1,464 to 1,426.  Re-elected were Mayor Frank Calandriello (1,904), Louis Aloia (1,847), Joseph Delaney (1,759) and Stanley Moskal (1,743). 

Paterson - The following are the results from contested ward races in Julio Tavarez replaces Councilman Juan TorresPaterson.

In the  2nd Ward: Councilman Aslon Goow, Sr., won with 1,161 votes, compared to Elizabeth Rosado, who earned 474 votes, and John Larko, who earned 147 votes.

In the 3rd Ward, Councilman Bill McKoy won with 977 votes, compared to Miguel Diaz with 705 votes.
   
In the 4th Ward, Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes won re-election with 641 votes. Her challengers, Wilkin Santana and Kisha Manning, received 244 and 182 votes respectively.