Roselle race too close to call

Two races for the Roselle Borough Council remain too close to call in a small Union County municipality

Incumbent Denise Wilkerson leads Cynthia Johnson by sixteen votes, 1,444-1,460.  Johnson is the 3rd Ward councilwoman.

In the 4th Ward, incumbent Cindy Thomas is 26 votes ahead of challenger Marie DuPont, 307-281.

Wilkerson and Thomas had the backing of Mayor Donald Shaw and three of their council colleagues: Isabel Sousa, Brandon Bernier, and Rosie McCamery.   Johnson and Dupont were supported by Assemblyman Reginald Atkins, the Democratic municipal chairman, and Vice Chairman Jamel Holley, a former mayor and assemblyman.

Shaw defeated Holley in the Democratic primary two years ago by 76 votes; Atkins backed Shaw, who ran on the organization line.  The aftermath resulted in a split within Shaw’s camp when Councilwoman Denise Wilkerson challenged Atkins for municipal chair.

To keep his seat, Atkins forged a coalition with Holley, who backed him for re-election and wound up getting the number two slot in the local party leadership in the process.

Several close races and some ties resulted in the Holley faction winning 18 of the 38 county committee seats.  Atkins held on to the chairmanship narrowly and only after a judge ordered a do-over election.

Atkins did not seek re-election to a third term in the Assembly in yesterday’s primary election.