County primaries to watch on Tuesday

When vote-counters tally up results on Tuesday, most eyes will be on the various competitive congressional primaries. But county parties, too, have pivotal primaries next week.

County machines are gearing up for challenges from progressives and mainstream Democrats alike, and with an antsy Democratic base and high-profile endorsements, there could be upheaval.

Here are county primaries worth keeping an eye on:

Passaic

It’s not often that an influential out-of-state senator weighs in on a county commission race, but Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) did just that when he endorsed Ali Aljarrah, a senior adviser at CAIR Action NJ who is challenging a pair of party-backed candidates.

Passaic County Democrats have endorsed incumbent Orlando Cruz and Clifton Democratic Club President Nick Veliky, and the race has sparked a rift between the establishment and progressive wings of the Democratic Party. Gov. Mikie Sherrill, Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon), and former Lt. Gov. Tahesha Way have backed Cruz and Veliky.

Sanders, meanwhile, isn’t the only high-profile progressive to back Aljarrah. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka endorsed Aljarrah, as did former Squad member and Rep. Jamaal Bowman and Assemblymembers Ravi Bhalla (D-Hoboken) and Katie Brennan (D-Jersey City).

The campaign will prove a major test to Passaic County Democratic Commissioner John Currie. In 2024, the machine held strong without the line.

Aljarrah had initially sought the county party’s endorsement, but he refused to participate after he was asked to sign a pledge that would have had him drop out of the race if the party didn’t pick him.

A fourth candidate, Ralph Feliciano, is also on the ballot, but he lacks the establishment support or endorsements of the other three. 

Cumberland

Cumberland Democrats have a shot at flipping the county commission this year, but first they must maneuver through a crowded primary.

Seven Democrats are seeking three nominations. The party, which has splintered in recent years, endorsed Ron Franceschini, Paul Thakkar, and Joe Pepitone. The outside challengers — Darwin Cooper, Jasmine Gomez-Demby, Tanisha Gomez, and LaRae Smith — all opted for different slogans.

Last year, Democrats flipped two commissioner seats, and they only need one of their nominees to win this November to gain control of the board.

Mercer

Two longtime Democratic commissioners, Lucy Walter and John Cimino, are seeking re-election this year, but they face a primary challenge from Nakia White Barr, a former Princeton University assistant vice president who ran strongly enough at the Mercer County Democratic convention to share the organization’s slogan.

Walter has been a county commissioner since 1998, and Cimino has been on the board since 2009.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill endorsed the party-backed Walter and Cimino this month, and the organization is taking the challenge seriously.

Essex

Six candidates are trying to nab four at-large commissioner seats in the first such election since the abolition of the county line, and only one incumbent is seeking re-election.

Essex County Democrats endorsed incumbent Wayne Richardson, Verona Councilwoman Christine McGrath, Livingston Mayor Shawn Klein, and West Orange Democratic Municipal Chairman Abdur R. Yasin for the four seats, and Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined the local party in backing them.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka went his own direction, endorsing Deborah Engel, a former deputy mayor of Maplewood, and former Newark Public Schools Advisory Board member Marques-Aquil Lewis in their outsider bids.

Even though the county line is no longer a factor, the two challengers still face an uphill climb in having to raise money and develop name recognition without the benefit of a party endorsement.

Three incumbents — Patricia Sebold (D-Livingston), Brendan Gill (D-Montclair), and Romaine Sermons (D-Irvington) — are not seeking re-election.

Several district commissioners — A’Dorian Murray-Thomas in District 2, Leonard Luciano in District 4, and Carlos Pomares in District 5 — are running for re-election unopposed.

Medinah E. Muhammad, an East Orange school board member, is unopposed for the Democratic nomination in District 3. In District 1, Wilson Pichardo, a senior adviser at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, faces no challenger.

Hudson

Hudson County machine leaders and its rising collection of progressives agreed to a unity slate this year, avoiding wars on the county ballot for this primary season.

There is one contested commissioner primary, however, in the 9th district of Hudson County, which includes East Newark, Harrison, Kearny, Secaucus, and part of Jersey City. Non-profit activist Alex Valdez is looking to succeed incumbent Albert Cifelli, who is not seeking re-election, and Valdez has the backing of the Hudson County Democratic Organization and the progressive Working Families Party. Valdez faces Mina Ekladious, the president of the Kearny PBA, and Harrison Councilman Larry Bennett for the nomination.

The challengers face an uphill climb against unified Hudson County leadership.

Salem

The state’s smallest county is about the size of Old Bridge, which makes every campaign unpredictable.  Incumbent County Commissioner Ed Ramsay is facing a challenge from construction company owner Lew Merryfield.    Merryfield has the top ballot position and the endorsement of County Commissioner Dan Timmerman.

Two of the five Republican seats are up this year.  County Commissioner Paul Collier is running for a one-year unexpired term without opposition.  Collier defeated Carneys Point Committeeman Wayne Pelura, 33-16.  He led Pelura on the first ballot, 2014, with nine votes for Merryfield, six votes for former Oldmans Township school board president Gary Green, and one vote for Lou Pasquale, a Penns Grove planning board member.  On the second ballot, Collier led Pelura, 21-14, with seven each for Merryfield and Green.

Bergen County

Franklin Lakes Councilman Joseph S. Conte, a retired Superior Court Judge, faces Daniel Ng in the GOP primary for Bergen County Surrogate.  Republicans had previously recruited Ng, but dropped him after Conte said he would run.  Conte is 82 and if he wins the primary, it would set up a septuagenarian vs. octogenarian race with Democrat Linda Schwager, the 77-year-old former mayor of Oakland.   Republicans have not won a countywide race in Bergen since 2013.