The incumbent ward council candidates, in a pattern found among most other primary election results elsewhere in “Local Talk” territory, turned back slate and independent challengers here June 7.
Registered city Democratic party voters who mailed in ballots or checked off their choices at polling stations endorsed sitting council members Andrea McPhatter, Jacquelyn Johnson, Quilla E. Talmadge, Sharon Fields and Lonnie P. Hughes. The party faithful picked those over a slate advocating city charger changes and several independents.
The unofficial results, barring any independent candidates who may have filed before 4 p.m. June 7 or are conducting a write-in campaign, makes the Nov. 8 General Election almost a formality. There were no city Republican candidates on June 7's ballot.
There were, however, three upsets among the primary results for municipal, Essex County and State Legislature seats.
Bloomfield Democrats, for example, retained off-line incumbent Nicholas Joanow for their Second Ward Council candidacy - but chose township party-endorsed Carlos Bernard over sitting Third Ward councilman Robert Ruane.
Former Governor and Orange native Richard J. Codey (D-Roseland) will be facing Tea Party Republican William Eames for the No. 27th Legislative District for State Senate Nov. 8. Eames, of Whippany, edged party committee-favored William Sullivan, of Essex Fells in the redrawn district.
"Joanow's the only off-line candidate who has been elected," observed Essex County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin while the results were being tabulated at the Hall of Records in Newark at 9:05 p.m. June 7. "It's been otherwise ‘Line A all the way.’ "
Durkin added that there were "13 voting machine problems scattered throughout the county."
The following figures are considered unofficial until June 21. The fortnight, where the voting machines are impounded and under State Police observation, allows for any candidate to file a challenge or recount call.
Durkin and the county board of elections, barring any appeals, are to certify the primary election results June 21 to help set the Nov. 8 General Election's stage.
Durkin's Election Services office recorded between a seven and 14 percent turnout by declared Republicans and Democrats from registered voters among Essex County's 22 municipalities.
There were 29,687 from among 209,907 registered county Democrats who voted June 7. The voting volume, not counting any provisional or emergency ballots, comes out to a 14.14 percent party turnout.
There were 4,539 county Republicans, or 10.07 percent, who voted from a 45,313 party pool.
Both parties, when combined for a 34,278 turnout June 7, made for a 7.42 percent turnout from among all 458,922 registered county voters.
Freeholder Carol Y. Clark also noted the light primary voter turnout at about 10:15 p.m. Clark and Orange Councilwoman Donna Williams were the last people to leave the incumbent candidates' party headquarters on King Boulevard. The storefront headquarters, in a Brick Church building that once housed a longtime pool hall, was already closed and its trash put to the curb.
Most of the contests, indeed, had their stories told within two hours of the polls' 8 p.m. closing.
In the First Ward of East Orange, McPhatter drew 898 votes to challenger Michael Corbitt's 278. In the Second Ward, Johnson turned back charter candidate Muzammil Mohamed-Stevens, 492-292. In the Third Ward, Talmadge, at 740 votes, was the top vote-getter from among four runners. Clinton Robinson garnered 252, Khalid Wright 80 and Denise Olusala 47.
In the Fourth Ward, Fields turned back charter change candidate Yvonne C. Blake, 535-214. Tyshammie L. Cooper tallied 199 votes. In the Fifth Ward, Hughes outdrew Royston Allman, 901-131.
In Bloomfield, First Ward Democrats favored Elias Chalet and Republicans Robert Goworek. Second Ward Democrats gave Joanow their nod over Paul Halligan, 434-262. Republicans chose Sharon Soon. Third Ward Democrats picked Beranrd over Ruane, 330-162. Republicans endorsed Octavio Morales.
In Maplewood, township Democrats preferred party-endorsed Victor DeLuca and India Hayes Larrier over independent Lee Navien. Incumbent DeLuca tallied 1,314 votes and Hayes Larrier 1,308 to Navien's 396.
Township Republicans meanwhile endorsed Bartholomew Albini and Joel S. Ziegler.
Essex County Democrats preferred their incumbents for the four at-large freeholder seats over five challengers.
Newark Council President Donald M. Payne, Jr., at 21,824 votes, led his colleagues' sweep. Blonnie R. Watson drew 20,724 votes, Patricia Sebold 20,384 and Rufus Johnson 19,958. Charles N. Hall, Jr., at 5,054, was the top vote-getter who missed the cut. D. Kim Thompson-Gaddy was next with 2,447, Latoya Wilson 2,053, William Spear 1,903 and Ladean Mitchell 1,338.
County-wide Republicans endorsed Sue Ann Penna, Reuben Torres, Adam Kraemer and Peter Campisi.
Democrats endorsed incumbent Freeholder and Newark Public Schools Advisory Board member Juan M. Rivera, Jr. for their District One Freeholder candidate. District Republicans likewise endorsed Jeannette Veras.
Incumbent D. Bilal Beasley was endorsed by Democrats for District Two freeholder in a contest with Terrance L. Bankston, 4,988-2,035.
There were no Republican candidates filed for District Two and Three endorsement.
District Three Democrats endorsed Clark. Respective District Four Democrats went for Leonard M. Luciano and Republicans Joseph Chiusolo.
District Five Republicans chose Nutley Board of Education member and Police Sgt. Steven L. Rogers over Carmen Bucco, 815-454. Democrats meanwhile endorsed Brendan Gill. Rogers and Gill are to contest for the seat being vacated by Belleville native Ralph Caputo.
County Democrats picked former Orange Municipal Judge Theodore N. Stephens II over Dereck Dillard for County Surrogate, 21,144-1,869. Stephens is to face Republican-endorsed Annette Scoca-Delmauro to become County Surrogate Joseph Brennan's successor Nov. 8.
Republicans and Democrats in the redrawn 27th State Legislative District had to pick among respective State Senate and General Assembly standard bearers for the Nov. 7 General election.
Republicans chose Eames over Sullivan, 3,601-3,171, for a 53-47 percent split. Eames is to face Democrat Codey, who ran without formal opposition, for the State Senate seat.
Democrats decided to go with incumbent General Assembly members Mila Jasey and John McKeon over challenger Lisa Steinberg.
Jasey, of South Orange, drew 6,029 votes or 42 percent of the vote. Former West Orange mayor McKeon got 5,563 votes or 39 percent. Steinberg, of Millburn, garnered 2,685 for 19 percent.
McKeon and Jasey are to face Republicans Nicole Hager, of Chatham Township, and Livingston's Lee Holtzman.
District 28 Democrats went for incumbents Cleopatra Tucker and Caputo for the two assembly seats over challenger Michael Frazzano. Tucker, of Newark, got 6,431 votes while Caputo, who moved to Bloomfield in the redrawn district, drew 6,152. Bloomfielder Frazzano mustered 693 votes.
Caputo and Tucker are to face Republicans Carol Humphreys, of Bloomfield, and David Pinckney, of Irvington, Nov. 8.
Incumbent Democrat Ronald L. Rice, of Newark, and Republican Russell Mollica, of Bloomfield, were endorsed to run for the district's state senate seat.
There were no contests in the 29th District's senate and assembly endorsements. Incumbent Democrat M. Theresa Ruiz and Republican Aracelis Sanabria Tejada, both of Newark, got their respective party senate nods.
Incumbent Democratic Newarkers L. Grace Spencer and Alberto Coutinho got their party's assembly nods. They are to face Republican challengers Elaine Guarino, of Newark, and Lisa Kistner, of Belleville.
Republicans in the revised 34th District chose Cliftonites Joan Salensky and Steve Farrell as assembly challengers in a four-way primary. Salensky mustered 843 votes and Farrell 821 to Ciftonites Rick Fralan's 767 and Randy Colondres' 742.
Salensky and Farrell are to challenge incumbents Thomas Giblin, of Montclair, and Assembly Speaker Shelia Y. Oliver, of East Orange.
Incumbent Democrat Nia Gill, of Montclair, and challenging Republican Ralph Bartnik, of Clifton, earned their respective party endorsements.
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