Candidates win local races uncontested in six towns

Of the 13 towns that held nonpartisan municipal elections today, six of them featured uncontested races. With polls now closed, the unopposed candidates in each town have been re-elected to another term.

In South Orange, Village President Sheena Collum and Village Trustee Summer Jones both won new terms. They’ll also be joined by two newcomers on the board of trustees, Jennifer Greenberg and Olivia Lewis-Chang, who will succeed incumbents Stephen Schnall and Donna Coallier.  After Collum scored a massive 76% win against Village Trustee and Essex County Freeholder Board Clerk Deborah Ford Davis in 2019, nobody bothered to run against her.  

In Cedar Grove, Mayor Joseph Maceri, Councilman John Zazzali, and former school board member Michele Mega won unopposed; Mega will succeed Councilman Peter Tanella.

In Lodi, five candidates won five seats on the borough council: Mayor Scott Luna, Councilman Vincent Martin, Councilman Emil Carafa, Councilman Joseph Leto, and Bruce Masopust, a former mayor who will succeed retiring Councilman Albert DiChiara.

In Haddon Township, Mayor Randy Teague and Councilmen James Mulroy and Ryan Linhart have won the town’s fourth consecutive uncontested election.

In Sea Isle City, 30-year Mayor Leonard Desiderio won re-election, as did Councilmen William Kehner and Frank Edwardi. Desiderio, who is also a longtime Cape May County Commissioner, will thus remain one of the state’s last remaining dual officeholders.

And in Avalon, Councilman John McCorristin won the contest to replace retiring Mayor Martin Pagliughi; Councilmembers Barbara Juzaitis and Samuel Wierman also won unopposed.