Leon gets Union Dem nod for freeholder

Union County Democrats have picked Lourdes Leon, a former public school principal from Elizabeth, to run on their organization line for freeholder.

Leon will replace Angel Estrada, who is not seeking re-election to an eighth term after 21 years on the Board of Freeholders.

She  faces a primary challenge.

The New Jersey Progressive Democrats of Union County are recruiting candidates to run on a separate line.

Justin O’Hea, a Garwood resident who works as a mental health clinician at Rutgers, has one of the candidates who is running on the slate.

“I absolutely detest machine politics,” O’Hea said.  “I cannot stand cronyism.”

Four incumbents are seeking re-election with support from the organization: county clerk Joanne Rajoppi, Sheriff Peter Corvelli and freeholders Chris Hudak and Angela Garretson.

Leon was picked by a screening committee made up of 21 municipal chairs that met last Sunday.

Republicans have not won a countywide election in Union County since 1995.

With nearly 115,000 more Democrats than Republicans, there is no indication that Union County will change its political direction anytime soon.