Trenton councilwoman wins runoff by one vote

Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg has won re-election to her South Ward seat on the Trenton City Council by one vote after the last and final tally this afternoon, defeating challenger Damian Malave, 370-369.

Kettenburg had led Malave, 357-350, before the final 32 votes from last week’s runoff election were counted.

Kettenburg and Malave tied in the November 5 non-partisan election with 1,044 votes each (46.6%); Evangeline Ugorji finished a distant third with 152 votes (6.8%).

Voter turnout was a weak 9%. Trenton opted out of early voting for the runoff, which would have been conducted at the time.

In Trenton’s North Ward, Jennifer Williams won a city council runoff by one vote, 428-427, in 2022.  She was unopposed for re-election this year.

This is the fifth time Kettenburg and Malave have faced off since 2018.

In November 2022, Malave led Kettenburg by 57 votes in the November election, 47.8% to 42.4%; Ugorji trailed with 105 votes (9.8%).    But Kettenburg prevailed in the December runoff, beating Malave by 40 votes, 324-284 (53.3% to 46.7%).

Kettenburg and Malave challenged longtime incumbent George Muschal in 2018.  Muschal led Malave in the May election, 46.3% to 31.1%, with Kettenburg finishing third with 22.5%.  Muschal won the June runoff with 60.5% in what would become his final term.

In 2022, after Trenton moved its municipal elections from May to November, a reset of its city council elections gave four-year terms to three at-large seats and two-year terms to the four ward councilmembers. The winners of the 2024 election will get four-year terms going forward.

In her bid for a second term, Kettenburg had the endorsements of Mayor Reed Gusciora, former Mayor Douglas Palmer, and three city councilwomen: Crystal Feliciano, Jasi Edwards and Jennifer Williams