The Democratic mayor of a small, progressive-leaning town in Bergen County, Kristine Morieko, has sharply criticized Democratic elected officials in Maplewood for dropping their support of Deborah Engel for mayor in January because she wasn’t ready to endorse Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) for governor.
Morieko says the move “does not pass the sniff test.”
“Such tactics undermine the democratic process we work so hard to maintain in our local communities,” said Morieko, who supports Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) for governor. “This incident raises concerns about the integrity of the democratic process in Jersey.”
Morieko, who presides over an all-women, all-Democratic Glen Rock borough council, wants the all-Democratic Maplewood Township Committee to “reconsider their decision, reflect deeply on this incident, and take steps to ensure that future political engagements are conducted with transparency, respect, and a commitment to our shared democratic values.”
Her statement clearly targets Sherrill, who pledged “that one of the very top issues she would focus on was transparency.”
But Sherrill’s local supporters on the Maplewood township committee, not the candidate or her campaign team, were involved in pressuring Engel.
Two gubernatorial candidates, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and former Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller, have already criticized Maplewood Democratic officials for tying Engel’s ascent to the mayoralty to the endorsement of a particular candidate.
“The residents of Maplewood, have suffered,” stated Morieko. “My heart goes out to Maplewood that they may find resolution to this ugly matter.”