May 13

IRVINGTON - All of the incumbents won here, including North WardAt -Large Councilman David Lyons wins Councilman David Lyons, who eked out a victory over tough challenger Gene Etchison, a Newark police detective.

Often the lone dissenter on Irvington’s City Council, Lyons won 451 votes (51% ) to Etchison’s 427 votes (49%).

Lyons’s West Ward running mate, Keith White, lost to Council President John Sowell. In that ward, the incumbent earned 345 votes (60%) to White’s 222 (38%). A third candidate in the race, Cedric Hunter, earned just 9 votes.

A three-term incumbent, Lyons received the backing of Sen. Ronald Rice (D-Essex) in his second close win over Etchison in four years.

Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., and his sister, Hillary, moments after they learned of victory. 

ORANGE - A few Orange city blocks separate the campaign headquarters of Donald Page and Eldridge Hawkins, but a wide gulf of emotion opened up after 9 p.m. when the results of the mayor’s race came down from City Hall and Hawkins won.

In a six-way race, Hawkins defeated Page by a margin of 30-27%, or 1,061 to 942 votes, to deal a heartbreaking loss to the forces of the long-serving councilman.

"We did it," said a jubilant Hawkins, surrounded by family and supporters, including state Sen. Richard Codey (D-Essex) in his campaign headquarters behind Sandwiches Unlimited on Center Street.

"He was a great candidate," said Codey, an Orange native who backed the 28-year old West Orange patrolman amid controversy about the candidate’s short-time residency in Orange.

BELLEVILLE - Incumbent councilmen, running mates Steve Rovell and Councilman John Notari: victoriousJohn Notari turned back challengers Mario Drozdz and Thomas Salzano in wards 3 and 4 respectively.

In Ward 1, Councilwoman Marie Strumolo Burke defeated challenger Peter Zangari.

Rovell was the town's highest vote-getter tonight. He received 710 votes, or 61% against Drozdz, who got 447, or 39%.

Notari beat Salzano, 625 to 211 votes, while Strumolo-Burke defeated Zangari by a 72-28% margin, 612 to 237 votes.

Paterson - The following are the results from contested ward races in Julio Tavarez replaces Councilman Juan TorresPaterson.

In the  2nd Ward: Councilman Aslon Goow, Sr., won with 1,161 votes, compared to Elizabeth Rosado, who earned 474 votes, and John Larko, who earned 147 votes.

In the 3rd Ward, Councilman Bill McKoy won with 977 votes, compared to Miguel Diaz with 705 votes.
   
In the 4th Ward, Councilwoman Vera Ames-Garnes won re-election with 641 votes. Her challengers, Wilkin Santana and Kisha Manning, received 244 and 182 votes respectively.

Orange Mayor-elect Eldridge Hawkins, Jr. will replace Mims HackettORANGE -Eldridge Hawkins, Jr., a West Orange police officer, defeated At-Large Councilman Donald Page and a field of four other candidates to become the new mayor of Orange.

Hawkins earned 1,061 votes or 30% of the votes, compared to 942 or 27% for Page.

Coming in third was North Ward Councilwoman Tency Eason with 564 votes, followed by Zoning Board Chair Janice Morrell with 417 votes, activist Betty Brown with 285 votes, and Planning Board Chair Dwight Holmes, 212 votes.

P.J. Mac Donald 

Belleville - Paul Mac Donald defeated Elvin Pereira in the 3rd Ward, defeating him, 485 to 415 votes, according to the Essex County Clerk's Office.

Paul "P.J." Mac Donald and the Lise girls on Election Day 

BELLEVILLE - This town’s toughest race - for an empty seat in the Third Ward - turned tougher today as state troopers finally told overzealous supporters of P.J. Mac Donald and Elvin Pereira to stay away from the polling places.

"I really wish it wouldn’t have gone this way, but I’m afraid it has," said Mac Donald, sitting on Washington Avenue in a van owned by the Teamsters, who have given their support to the retired Essex County corrections officer.

Pereira, a homeowner in Belleville for a year, figures he can win if lifelong resident Mac Donald’s bread and butter senior voter turnout stays low. In the middle of the afternoon, Pereira said morning voter numbers showed his campaign on target.

Nutley Commissioner Carmen Orechio 

NUTLEY - A car pulls up in front of the VFW Building on Washington and Commissioner Carmen Orechio emerges from the passenger side.

"Hey, Carmen!" comes a familiar cry.

The former state senate president is well known in New Jersey.

But everybody knows him in Nutley, where the 84-year old has served for 40 years on the Board of Commissioners.

JACKSON - Team Kafton figured if they kept hitting the Council candidate Michael Kaftonopposition with gypsy moths, taxes and Mayor Mark Seda's salary increase, they could beat incumbent GOP Councilwoman Emily Ingram and her running mates on Election Day.

In a few hours, they will learn the effectiveness of their repeated mail attack pieces coupled with five debate forums in which former Democratic Mayor Michael Kafton and his running mates kept pointing to Ingram's alliance with Seda.

"He's working the senior communities hard," campaign spokesman Pat Politano said of Kafton. "He's wandering everywhere. Mike's been all over town."

PATERSON - The campaign of Councilman Aslon Goow reported goodWard Two Councilman Aslon Goow and ally Millie Mulero GOTV efforts as around 500 voters across the 2nd Ward turned out to vote as of this afternoon.

"We're strong in our areas, including the Hillcrest neighborhood and the senior buildings," said Goow campaign spokesman Ryan Yacco.

Goow is trying to fend off Elizabeth Rosado, wife of former Councilman Jerry Luis Rosado and an ally of Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres.

Mason contractor John Larko is also challenging.