Jenny Mundell is the favorite to become Bloomfield’s first woman mayor next week after the local Democratic organization picked her to succeed Michael Venezia, who resigned last week to take his seat in the New Jersey State Assembly.
Mundell, a two-term first ward councilwoman and the vice president of development at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, easily won a vote of the Bloomfield Democratic County Committee on Wednesday, outdistancing At-Large Councilman Ted Gamble, 41-16, with Nicole Williams, a Parking Authority member, receiving two votes.
All three names will be submitted to the council.
If Mundell or Gamble are picked, Bloomfield Democrats will need to return to pick three names to fill their council seats.
Bloomfield, a solidly Democratic town, will hold a special mayoral election in November to fill the remaining year of Venezia’s term. There will also be a special for the presumed vacant council seat; Mundell, who was re-elected last fall, is up for re-election in 2026 and Gamble is up in 2025.
Venezia, the Democratic municipal chair, endorsed Mundell as his successor.
“I would like to thank all the members of the Bloomfield Democratic Committee for casting their vote and participating in what I believe was an open, transparent, and successful process for choosing nominees for Mayor,” Venezia said. “I urge the members of the Township Council to respect the clear majority opinion of the Bloomfield Democratic Committee and vote to appoint Councilwoman Jenny Mundell as our next Mayor.”
Venezia captured one of the open 34th district Assembly seats in the November 2023 midterm elections. He is the first legislator from Bloomfield since Marion Crecco, a Republican, gave up her seat after 2001 redistricting to challenge incumbent State Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Newark).