Dems hold county offices in Camden, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, Union

Democrats have retained control of countywide offices in Camden, Essex, Hudson, Mercer, Middlesex, and Union Counties, all heavily Democratic counties that no one on either side of the aisle believed to be competitive, the New Jersey Globe projects.

Among the Democrats who have won are two new county executives in major counties: Craig Guy in Hudson County, taking over for retiring Executive Tom DeGise, and Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton) in Mercer County, who resoundingly beat incumbent Executive Brian Hughes at the Mercer Democratic convention earlier this year.

Camden

Democratic Commissioners Louis Cappelli Jr. (D-Haddon) and Jonathan L. Young Sr. (D-Berlin) defeated Republicans Jason Fanning and Norman Rebel Jr. to continue a 32-year winning streak at the county level.

Cappelli was first elected as a commissioner in 2003 and has served as the board’s director since 2006. Young has served as a commissioner since 2015.

Fanning ran for Gloucester City Common Council in 2022, but lost that race.

Essex

Democrats have easily maintained their 9-0 majority on the Essex County Board of Commissioners, with Alturrick Kenney winning a second term as Surrogate.

Four incumbent county commissioners won massive victories in the countywide at-large race: Brendan Gill, Patricia Sebold, Wayne Richardson, and Romaine Graham. They defeated Republicans Michael Pocelinko, Alexandra Campisi, Aristotle Popolizo, and Joseph Cifelli.

Sebold is the second-longest serving county commissioner in the state; she was elected in 1993 and has been the Livingston Democratic municipal chair since 1976. Gill is the Montclair Democratic municipal chair and influential Democratic powerbroker. Richardson, an official with the Laborers’ union, had been the District 2 commissioner and is running at-large this year.

Republicans have not won an at-large freeholder/commissioner race since 1971.

Democrats also held all five seats at the district-level commissioner seats.

In the 1st district, Democratic incumbent Robert Mercado won re-election; he ran unopposed.

In the 2nd district, Democrat A’Dorian Murray-Thomas, a Newark school board member, beat independent Khalil Kettles.

In the 3rd district, incumbent Democrat Tyshammie Cooper won re-election; she ran unopposed.

In the 4th district, Democratic incumbent Leonard Luciano defeated Republican challenger Adam Kraemer, a 13-time candidate.

And in the 5th district, Carlos Pomares, a Democratic incumbent, defeated Republican challenger Kristin Bolschak.

Hudson

Craig Guy, a longtime Democratic stalwart and retired Jersey City police lieutenant, was elected Hudson County Executive tonight without opposition. He replaces Tom DeGise, who is retiring after 19 years in office and becomes just the fifth county executive in Hudson history.

Guy had been DeGise’s longtime chief of staff and was the top choice of Hudson Democratic leaders to succeed him. He had been the easy winner of the Democratic primary.

Democrats also easily won all nine county commissioner seats; Republicans have not won a seat since 1984.

In the 1st district, incumbent Democrat Kenneth Kopacz leads Republican challenger Leandro Lachica. Lachica previously served as a diplomat from his native Philippines.

In the 2nd district, incumbent Democrat William O’Dea won re-election without opposition. A county commissioner since 1997, O’Dea will announce his bid for mayor of Jersey City on November 18.

Five other incumbents ran unopposed: Jerry Walker in District 3; Yraida Aponte-Lipski in District 4; Fanny Cedeño in District 6, Caridad Rodriguez in District 7; and Robert Baselice in District 8.

In the Hoboken-based 5th district, incumbent Democrat Anthony Romano, the winner of a close Democratic primary, beat Republican challenger Joseph Branco. Aponte-Lipski also had to overcome a tough primary challenge to reach the general election.

Albert Cifelli, the Democratic incumbent in the Kearny-based 9th district, beat Republican challenger Jorge Dos Santos.

Mercer

Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton) was elected Mercer County Executive tonight, easily defeating Republican County Chair Lisa Richford.

Benson will replace five-term incumbent Brian Hughes. Hughes dropped his re-election bid after Benson, a six-term assemblyman, decisively beat him at the Mercer County Democratic convention earlier this year.

In the sheriff’s race, Democrat Jack Kemler won his fifth term in a rematch with Republican Bryan “Bucky” Boccanfuso. He defeated Boccanfuso with 70% of the vote three years ago.

Incumbent Democrats Lucylle Walter and John Cimino won re-election to their county commissioner seats against Republican challengers Joseph Stillwell and Denise Turner.

Middlesex

Democratic incumbents Charles Tomaro and Leslie Koppel easily defeated Republican opponents Gary Hagopian and Pedro Pisar, continuing a Democratic winning streak that began in 1992.

Tomaro has been a commissioner since 2011; Koppel has served since 2017.

Union

Democrats continue their domination of county government in Union County, with their 27th consecutive win.

Incumbent Democratic Sheriff Peter Corvelli defeated Republican Gerardo Napolitano, and Democrats won all three county commissioner seats as well: Commissioner Lourdes Leon, appointed Commissioner Joseph Bodek, and Union Township Committeewoman Michele Delisfort beat Republicans Cathy Jakositz, Brian Johdos, and Carlos Santos.

Leon won her second term, while Bodek won his first full term; he won a special election earlier this year to succeed Christopher Hudak, who was elected surrogate in 2022. Delisfort replaces Commissioner Angela Garretson, who decided to retire.

Jakositz served on the Mountainside Board of Education. Johdos and Santos are both small business owners.