DiVincenzo takes office as six-term Essex County Executive

Joseph DiVincenzo was sworn in today to a sixth term as Essex County Executive, after winning another massive landslide re-election victory.

He was sworn in by LeRoy Jones, Jr. the New Jersey Democratic State Chairman and the Essex County Democratic Chairman.  Gov. Phil Murphy and his son, Joseph, held the bible.

“This is my sixth term, but it still feels like my first term,” said DiVincenzo, who is the fifth county executive in Essex.  “I love coming to work.  Every morning I wake up and think about what we can do to continue moving Essex County forward,”

After serving as an Essex County freeholder, DiVincenzo defeated Thomas P. Giblin, now an assemblyman, in the 2002 Democratic primary and then flipped the county executive post in the general against Republican Candy Straight.  He inherited a $64 million budget deficit and Moody’s was on the verge on downgrading the county to junk bond status.

In November, DiVincenzo defeated Republican Adam Kraemer with 80.5% of the vote after restoring Essex County’s bond rating to AA- and personally managing one of the state’s most successful vaccination programs during the COVID-19 crisis.

Only Democrat Peter Shapiro and Republican Jim Treffinger served two terms.   After 20 years as county executive, DiVincenzo is the second-longest serving county executive in the state, behind Dennis Levinson of Atlantic County.