Frank Vélez Archives - New Jersey Globe

Sherrill takes sides in Bloomfield council primary

May 28, 2026 6:44 amMay 27, 2026 10:47 pm

Gov. Mikie Sherrill is backing the organization candidates for three ward council seats in Bloomfield, putting her on the opposite side of U.S. Senator Andy Kim, Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-Glen Ridge), and State Sen. Britnee Timberlake (D-East Orange). Sherrill is...

Kim, Mejia and Timberlake endorse insurgent Bloomfield council candidates

May 22, 2026 8:00 amMay 27, 2026 10:36 pm

U.S. Senator Andy Kim, Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-Glen Ridge), and State Sen. Britnee Timberlake (D-East Orange) are taking sides in a contested Democratic primary for three ward council seats in Bloomfield, moving against the local Democratic organization headed by Assemblyman...

The Inside Edge with Zach Blackburn: Another Man

May 15, 2026 5:15 amMay 15, 2026 9:05 am

Vélez unseats Melham as Belleville mayor

May 12, 2026 10:20 pm

Young, progressive Belleville Councilman Frank Vélez unseated the Essex County town’s incumbent mayor, Michael Melham, the New Jersey Globe projects. As of 10:18 PM, Vélez leads Melham 3,255-2,218, or 59%-41%. Melham and Vélez received support from dueling candidates during the special election...

Mejia’s win shows Bloomfield is moving left

February 23, 2026 4:02 pmFebruary 24, 2026 12:16 am

Bloomfield was once a middle-class, factory town, Republican stronghold that delivered huge margins to candidates of the Grand Old Party: President Ronald Reagan won it by over 6,000 votes and 64% in 1984, and Gov. Thomas Kean carried it by...

In the NJ-11 special primary, local endorsements did not rule the day

February 13, 2026 2:25 pm

Longtime progressive organizer Analilia Mejia’s special primary victory last week came as a surprise to many; not just because of her left-wing bona fides in a wealthy district, but because her local and county endorsements paled in comparison to those...

NJ-11 battle lines are drawn in Belleville

January 9, 2026 12:18 pmJanuary 11, 2026 11:14 am

The Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district and the nonpartisan race for mayor of Belleville – two very different races happening in different months with different electorates – have become intertwined. The incumbent mayor, Michael Melham, is an...