Signorello wins Roselle Park mayoral primary by 18

Roselle Park Mayor Joseph Signorello, Jr. has won the Democratic primary by 18 votes over rival Gregory Johnson, a ward councilman, 613-595.

The final margin was three times Signorello’s election night lead of six votes.

Signorello won three of the borough’s five wards with a win that came on the strength of his vote-by-mail effort.  Among VBM voters, Signorello was up by 33 votes; Johnson won in-person early voting by six votes, and Election Day votes by ten. Signorello received one more provisional ballot than Johnson.

He will face Republican Jorge Ramirez, who lost a second ward council race two years ago, in the November general election.

Signorello is a former councilman, school board member and fire chief.  His son, Joseph Signorello III, won the 2018 mayoral race with 54% of the vote in a three-way race that included incumbent Democrat Carl Hokanson, who ran as an independent.

Roselle Park has become a Democratic stronghold; Mikie Sherrill carried Roselle Park by 25 points last year.