Unofficial results of Tuesday's primary election show Councilwoman Rebecca Williams edging out Councilwoman Tracey Brown for the Citywide at-large seat, which may finally give Mayor Adrian O. Mapp the majority he needs on the governing body to support his goals for the city.
City Clerk Abubakar Jalloh gave unofficial results Tuesday as 3,111 for Williams to 2,962 for Brown, including absentee ballots.
"The people of Plainfield are the ones who I think will be the victors here," Williams said as she thanked supporters. "The victory goes to all of you. Keep Plainfield moving forward."
In the Third Ward, Mapp candidate Charles McRae won by a wider margin over Alma Blanco, broadening the mayor's possible support. Jalloh's unofficial tally was 1,114 for McRae to 713 for Blanco.
"I'm very joyous right now. The Third Ward will be heard from," McRae said, thanking his wife, Sylvia, and all who worked on his campaign.
Mapp also praised the campaign team for their hard work.
Union County Clerk Joanne Rajoppi will publish the official results next week.
Mapp has a year and a half to go in his term and has often met resistance from the current council majority to to his "One Plainfield, One Future" mantra. In 2015, he won the local Democratic Party chairmanship and gained the power to name candidates to the party line, though he took a screening committee's recommendation to give the line to McRae and Williams. Local political wisdom is that a mayor must be able to "count to four" on the seven-member council to get things done, while currently Mapp can count on just three allies.
Williams will be running unopposed for the citywide at-large seat in the November 8 general election. No Republicans or independents filed for the seat. The Mapp-dominated Democratic City Committee must offer three names to the City Council to fill her current Second & Third Wards at-large seat and the result could be the long-desired count to four.
McRae faces opposition from one independent candidate who filed Tuesday, none other than Mapp's former arch-rival, former Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs. She beat Mapp in 2009 to win a second term as mayor, but lost to him in November 2013. After Mapp took office in 2014, she dogged him for months in public meetings. Robinson-Briggs filed Tuesday with the slogan, "The People's Candidate."
--Bernice
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Some people never get the hint to leave the party, SRB, don't go away mad, just go away.
ReplyDeleteTracey Brown ran against the machine and lost by about 50 Votes. Clearly the masses know the time and sent a message that the time of Elitism is coming to a end. Mr. X
ReplyDeleteReally, because as I recall Rebecca Williams ran against the line twice and WON.
DeleteMr X - Yes the masses of 3,111 voters know that the time for progress is here and Rev Brown, while showing a strong turnout, now has about 6 months left in her public service to abstain and avoid helping solve real issues.
DeleteIt may be more that the politics of victimization is coming to an end in Plainfield. For all her faith and pastoral good-works, Tracey Brown showed time and again that she was representative not of the city at large but of a limited segment of the population, significant though it may be. She and Alma Blanco's vocal suggestion that the police division had it in for Lt. Ken Reid was not helpful. She was too wed to what was formerly the political machine in town, which last year's city committee vote should have indicated was over and out. Even still, it was a close race this year, but she will be able to accomplish greater things as a full time pastor than as a part-time politico. The fight for justice in our city is not a battle between so-called elites and the disadvantaged but, between inertia and a rising tide that can lift all boats.
Delete149 votes. Your arithmetic is consistent with your rationale regarding Elitism.
DeleteMr. X: Please don't confuse progress with elitism.
DeleteIf you truly represent peace and progress for all, please make sure your comments line up with your ideology.
Plainfield.. the only town where middle class is considered "elite". Wanting to improve economic conditions and stimulate development is not elitism. Pushing for a better environment for our kids to grow up is in not "elitism". I guess if there is nothing to complain about, one must create something to complain about.
DeleteMr X you still talking.
DeleteWould it be elitist to indicate that your math is incorrect and the actual difference is 149 votes?
DeleteAnd, a Machine? Hardly! They defeated the machine.
Come on now Mr. X - Keep it Real
Congratulations to Rebecca Williams and Charles McRae on their hard fought primary victories. Both ran positive campaigns with solid ideas for Plainfield. Libby and I look forward to continuing our support for the Mapp team ensuring that "Keeping Plainfield Moving Forward" remains the focus and top priority.
ReplyDeleteMr. X,
ReplyDeleteA more appropriate comment would be "Congratulations to Rebecca Williams and Charles McRae. I look forward to continued progress, reduced crime, increased accountability in our budgets and school system." Instead you make some imaginary divide between the "masses" and the others. I'm far from elite and not part of any machine but voted for Rebecca, because I want intelligent, responsible and compassionate people representing me. Your divide is artificial. Time for you to drop the bitterness and embrace a positive, beautiful future for everyone in Plainfield.
Mr. Y
As a member of the Plainfield Democratic City Committee I want to congratulate Rebecca and Charles. They are down-to-earth people and care about our city. They will not abstain when their morals are compromised, but vote their conscience and not escape their moral obligations. I wish Councilwoman Brown the best, but am glad we can move forward without the Sharon/Jerry influence holding Plainfield back. Sharon does need to take a hint that this city is over her and she needs to get over herself. She may be delusional, so I hope she can get professional help to deal with reality. Again, Congratulations Charles and Rebecca!
ReplyDeleteHi, Bernice,
ReplyDeleteI am thankful that the voters saw through the negativity outside the polls yesterday and voted for Charles and me. While I was outside, I was verbally assaulted all day--LITERALLY and relentlessly called "The Devil" because my private Christian beliefs preclude me from pledging a flag. I won anyway, because Plainfielders would not be distracted by such nonsense. "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2) With a victory in November, I will continue to be a representative of ALL the people of Plainfield.
Best,
Rebecca
Rebecca, I'm really sorry this abuse happens to you. Thanks for staying in the game and running. We really appreciate it.
DeleteTim Kirby
And I bet after they finished their verbal assault, they told you to "Have a blessed day".
ReplyDeleteToo funny! When people say "Have a blessed day" it is like confession. All their prior sins are forgiven. Too funny!
ReplyDeleteWhat happens now with Councilwoman Williams' old seat???
ReplyDelete