Blackman defeats Dodd in Dover mayoral race

Democrat Carolyn Blackman has been elected Mayor of Dover, defeating longtime incumbent James P. Dodd by 51 votes.

Blackman, an alderwoman, had led by 19 votes on Election Day.  She added 32 votes in provisional and late vote-by-mail ballots.

She is set to become Dover’s first woman mayor and first African-American mayor.

Allies of Blackman and Dover Democratic Municipal Chairman Edward Correa now control all eight seats on the Board of Alderman, although Alderwoman-elect Judy Rugg, who now leads by eight votes, could face a recount.

Democrats will select a replacement for Blackman in December when she resigns as an Alderwoman to become mayor.

Dodd, who had been elected mayor as a Democrat in 2003, ran as an independent this year after losing after an insurgent group took control of the local Democratic Party in 2018.

Backed by Morris County Democratic chairman Chip Robinson, the Dover First group wrestled 19 of 24 county committee seats away from Dodd allies.

Dover (pop. 18,157) is 48% Hispanic — with a large Colombian community — and 6% Black, but the county committee in Dover had a white majority.

Dodd ousted Republican 4th ward alderman R. Keith Titus in 1997 by 67 votes, 43%-32%, in a three-way race.  He was elected mayor in 2003 with 62% of the vote after Republican Javier Mar stepped down.