Can Republicans elect a mayor in this Democratic town?

Republicans are setting their sights on Summit this year, where they believe a controversial downtown redevelopment project could propel them to victory in a blue train station town that has been critical to the realignment of the state’s Democratic vote.

Democratic Mayor Nora Radest announced earlier this year that she would not seek re-election to a third term, setting up an open seat race between two candidates who have been active in the community and believe they can attract a large base of support.

To replace Radest, Democrats are running David Naidu, a former council president and partner at a prominent New York law firm.

“We are running on experience and positive messaging and having a vision for the future and working together – we have served for a long time, and we know the community,” Naidu told the New Jersey Globe.

Republicans have picked a political newcomer with longtime ties to the community: Elizabeth Fagan, a recently retired physician who ran a family medical practice in downtown Summit and served as president of the city’s Board of Health.

“I am running for Mayor of Summit to be a voice for residents, who are very discouraged by the decisions that have been made by the party currently in control,” Fagan said.  “Specifically, residents made up of Democrats, Republicans, and unaffiliated voters have joined with me to voice their concerns over David Naidu’s disturbing refusal to abandon his vision for overdevelopment despite broad community opposition.”

Once a Republican stronghold, Democrats won the Summit mayoralty in 2003 for the first time in the city’s 100-year history when Jordan Glatt beat GOP Councilman John Maher by 261 votes, 52%-48%.

Glatt didn’t run again in 2011, and Republican Ellen Dickson was elected mayor 39% in a three-way race.  Radest ousted Dickson in 2015 by a 58%-42% margin and ran unopposed in 2019.

The GOP believes they can build on some momentum that began in 2022 when newcomer Delia Hamlet won a Ward 1 city council seat; she beat incumbent Democrat Danny O’Sullivan by just 29 votes. Republican Councilwoman Lisa Allen was unopposed when re-elected to a Ward 2 seat in 2021.

Democrats have a 5-2 majority on the city’s Common Council, with three of their seats up this year.

While Republicans have scored local wins in each of the city’s two wards, Summit has supported Democrats running for county, state, or federal office.

Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) won Summit in 2022 with 62%; Democrats swept the county races in the town, with the Democratic candidate for surrogate winning with 64%.

In the 2021 gubernatorial race, Summit gave Gov. Phil Murphy a 1,137-vote plurality and a 57%-42% margin.  But Republicans did better in legislative races: Roselle Park Mayor Joseph Signorello carried Summit by 392 votes (52.6%-47.4%) against Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield), then an assemblyman running for an open State Senate seat; and Assemblywoman Nancy Munoz (R-Summit) came within 241 votes of winning her hometown.

Summit gave Joe Biden 67% in 2020, and Malinowski received 59%, three points less than in 2022.

In addition to Radest, two other Democratic incumbents are not seeking re-election: Susan Hairston in Ward 1 and Marjorie Fox in Ward 2.  Democrat Diego Hoic and Bob Pawlowski face off for Hairston’s seat, while Democrat  Claire Toth and Republican Jamel Boyer compete to succeed Fox.  At-Large Councilwoman Jamie Levine is seeking re-election against Republican Kevin Smallwood.

This story was updated on August 29 at 9:08 AM to include comment from Fagan.