Bruce James, a former social services caseworker who served as a Passaic County Commissioner for over 20 years, died today after a lengthy illness. He was 75.
James had been a highly respected supervisor and union leader at the Passaic County Board of Social Services before entering politics as a candidate for freeholder – the original title of what is now county commissioner – in 2005.
A longtime friend, Passaic County Democratic Chairman John Currie, said that James had “spent his life fighting for working people, for struggling families, and for those who too often did not have someone in their corner.”
“Bruce was a loyal friend, a proud Democrat, and someone we could always count on when things got difficult. He was also an important part of the success of our Passaic County Democratic family,” stated Currie. “Bruce James devoted his life to helping others. We will miss his voice and his friendship, but the difference he made in the lives of so many people will not be forgotten.”
County Commissioner Sandi Lazzara said that James’s work in social services “never left him.”
“He had sat across the desk from residents on the hardest day of their lives and he brought those people into the board room with him every single time we voted,” she said.
Lazzara also called him “a consistent voice for fiscal responsibility, and he stood behind the hard budget decisions that got us to the strongest credit rating in our history.”
“Our parks belonged to everyone, as far as he was concerned, and he backed the investments that made them what they are today,” Lazzara said. “On public safety, he was relentless. He fought for the people and the equipment to protect this county, and he did not wait to be asked.”
He first ran for freeholder in 2004, appearing at a party screening committee seeking support against two incumbents, Terry Duffy and Pat Lepore.
The next year, Democratic leaders picked James after dropping longtime incumbent Peter Eagler from their ticket. He defeated Prospect Park Mayor Will Kubofcik and Clifton Councilwoman Gloria Kolodziej with 52% of the vote on the first ballot and joined incumbent Elease Evans on the ticket.
Evans and James defeated Republicans Frank Gaccione and Victor Rabbat by over 11,000 votes.
He was re-elected in 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017 and 2020. In 2020, in an all-vote-by-mail election, James received 113,762 votes and led his nearest Republican challenger by over 31,000 votes.
In his last campaign in 2023, James (34,763) and his running mate, Orlando Cruz (34,263), defeated Republicans Kelly Amico (32,189) and Andie Pegal (31,544) in a relatively close race.
James announced earlier this year that he would not seek a third term. He was replaced on the Democratic slate by another Clifton resident, Nick Veliky.
This is the second vacancy on the all-Democratic seven-member county commissioner board this year: John Bartlett resigned in June to become general counsel of the Gateway Development Corporation. Democrats picked Veliky to replace Bartlett.
Earlier this month, Democrats picked Haledon Councilwoman Aleksandra Tasic to run in the November special election to fill the remainder of Bartlett’s term.
Under state law, the winner of the special election for Bartlett’s unexpired term will take office after the November election results are certified. That means Veliky will leave the board in November and, if he wins his own race, return in January to begin the term for which he was nominated in June.
James’ death could set up an immediate ascension of Tasic as county commissioner, but if she wins the unexpired Bartlett seat, she would have to resign James’ seat to take her own; that would leave Democrats with the need to convene another special election convention to replace Tasic for the last five weeks of the year.
Democrats could also appoint a caretaker to fill the remainder of James’ term, which ends on December 31.
Bartlett said James “was a mentor and a friend from the very beginning of my involvement in Passaic County politics.”
”So many of the things I achieved as a Freeholder and County Commissioner grew from lessons Bruce taught me,” Bartlett said.
Former Gov. Phil Murphy said James “was a dedicated public servant who cared deeply about the people of Passaic County.”
“For more than two decades as a County Commissioner, he brought the same commitment to serving others that defined his career as a social services caseworker, proud union leader, and longtime advocate for working people,” said Murphy. “He always stood up for those whose voices needed to be heard, earning the respect and affection of so many in his community. Tammy and I send our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
