New Linden councilwoman is daughter of ex-mayor, assemblyman

Christine Ann Hudak, whose late father served as an assemblyman and mayor, has been named to  fill a vacant 10th Ward seat on the Linden City Council.

She will replace Gretchen Hickey, who resigned this month after serving eight years in local office.

“It makes me feel so good that the 10th Ward will be still represented by someone who is caring, compassionate, intelligent, involved in the community, and very proud of our city,” Hickey said.

Hudak will need to run in a special election in November for the remainder of Hickey’s term, which expires in 2023.

In addition to Hudak, the local Democratic organization, which is chaired by Mayor Derek Armstead, also submitted two other candidates to the council: former Council President James Moore and former school board member Ahmed Shehata.

Hudak’s father, George Hudak, was elected to the Linden City Council in 1966 and served one term as mayor following the resignation of John Gregorio in 1983.  He was elected to the State Assembly in 1985 and served four terms before is retirement.  He died of a heart attack in 1996 at age 61.

An ally of Senate President Nichola Scutari, Hickey was first elected to the council in 2014.  She challenged Armstead in the Democratic mayoral primary but lost by a 58%-36% margin.  She ran unopposed in 2020.