Democrats Face Freeholder Primary

Union County Democrats will see a competitive primary for county freeholder this year, as a group of Elizabeth based insurgent Democrats has filed for the June primary.

The Democrats for Change ticket, aligned with former Elizabeth Councilman Tony Monteiro, a longtime opponent of State Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Elizabeth), has filed three candidates for three seats on the freeholder board. The county party has also backed a three person slate, including two incumbents in the primary.

Elizabeth Board of Education member Elcy Castillo-Ospina is heading the opposition ticket, which also includes Erna Letemps of Elizabeth and Marlene Abitanto of Elizabeth in the primary. The county Democratic party isFreeholder Angel Estrada of Elizabeth, Freeholder Chris Hudak of Linden and retired educator Vernell Wright of Union Township.

The Democrats for Change are aligned with a state legislative ticket running in the 20th legislative district, which is based in the eastern portion of the county. Monteiro is running with Elizabeth Councilman Carlos Cedeno for the state assembly against Assembly Majority Leader Joe Cryan of Union Township and Assemblywoman Annette Quijano of Elizabeth. Assistant Elizabeth Schools Superintendent Jerome Dunn is the ticket’s candidate challenging Lesniak for the Senate seat. Republican Helen Rosales of Elizabeth is running for the Senate in the district and Elizabeth BOE member John Donoso is a Republican Assembly candidate in the district.

The Democrats for Change will not be running candidates in the two other legislative districts encompassing Union County. Lisa McCormick, the faction’s unsuccessful 2010 county clerk candidate, has dropped her primary challenge of Sen. Nick Scutari (D-Linden) in the 22nd district.

The Elizabeth Board of Education is controlled by Democrats for Change forces, which has long been at odds with Lesniak’s control of the Democratic Party in Elizabeth and countywide. The tactic of running a freeholder slate is common in New Jersey, as county wide slates help non-party back candidates for other offices gain better ballot placement in primaries.

Estrada, a former Elizabeth BOE member and manager of the Elizabeth DMV office, is seeking his fifth term on the board. He has served as freeholder chairman twice and is known for his specialty in education policy. Hudak, the Linden Democratic chairman and former manager of the Rahway DMV office, was to the freeholder board in December to replace Rick Proctor, who stepped down to become mayor of Rahway. Wright, a retired school principal who lives in the Vauxhall neighborhood of Union, replaces Freeholder Nancy Ward of Westfield on the ticket.

Westfield Councilman Dave Haas had expressed interest in being backed by the party for freeholder, including running in the special election convention which backed Hudak in December. Haas dropped his potential candidacy after party leaders backed Estrada, Hudak and Wright.

The Democrats for Change came closest in their challenges to the county Democratic party during Democratic primary, with the faction’s leading candidate, Carmen Southward, finishing 1800 votes behind Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski. Castillo-Ospina, finished sixth out of six candidates in 2010, with just under 14-percent of the vote, roughly 3200 votes behind Kowalski. The faction’s sheriff candidate, Charles Mitchell, came within 1400 votes of defeating longtime Sheriff Ralph Froehlich in last year’s primary.

Abitanto ran unsuccessfully for freeholder in the 2005 primary, finishing eighth out of eight candidates with four and a half percent of the vote.

On the , attorney of Summit and security company executive Edwin Ortiz of Elizabeth will represent the party in the November election. The duo could be joined on the ticket if a write-in candidate garners enough votes in the June 7 primary.

This is the second time the GOP has fielded two candidates for three freeholder seats. In 2009, the party nominated then Garwood Councilman Anthony Sytko and Fanwood attorney Nicole Cole for freeholder, in a Cole finished 5100 votes behind Freeholder Mohamed Jalloh, one of the narrower margins in recent years.

County Republican Chairman Phil Morin declined to say if the party had difficulty finding a third candidate. Two likely GOP freeholder candidates, Sytko and Summit Councilwoman Ellen Dickson, both decided against the race. Sytko announced plans to move out of the county and Dickson announced her candidacy for mayor of Summit instead.

Republicans have not won a countywide race since 1994 and have not held a seat on the freeholder board since the end of 1997.