Phil Alagia, one of the most influential political insiders in Essex County and a veteran campaign strategist, will personally manage Jenny Mundell’s campaign for mayor of Bloomfield in the June Democratic primary.
Mundell is expected to have the organization line in her campaign against Ted Gamble, who became mayor on Monday in a 4-2 vote of the Bloomfield town council to succeed Michael Venezia, who resigned last week to take his seat in the State Assembly.
“There’s no one who understands Essex County government better than Phil Alagia, and I’m so excited to have him join our team,” Mundell stated. “We’re building a campaign that will unite the grassroots with our local and county Democratic parties under a banner of continuing the progress and momentum we’ve seen in Bloomfield, and I know that Phil will help us make that happen.”
The Bloomfield Democratic County Committee had voted to support Mundell, but four of the six councilmembers backed Gamble. Venezia endorsed Mundell after the party vote, and again on Monday after Gamble became the interim mayor
Alagia has been the chief of staff to Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo since 2003. He managed DiVincenzo’s 2002 primary against Thomas P. Giblin.
“I’ve worked alongside Jenny Mundell and seen up close that she’s one of the most honest, dedicated, hardworking public servants I’ve come across during my career, so I know that she will be a tremendous mayor for the people of Bloomfield,” Alagia said. “I look forward to helping Jenny and her team put together a strong campaign that will organize local Democrats and win this primary election.”
A four-term councilwoman, Mundell would become the town’s first woman mayor.