Among the mayoral candidates, then-Councilman Adrian O. Mapp ran in the 2013 primary for a four-year mayoral term. He won with 2,793 votes over incumbent Mayor Sharon Robinson-Briggs, who received 1,756 votes. Preceding the primary on May 17, the Union County Board of Elections noted 12,617 registered Democrats eligible to vote. Mapp faced unaffiliated candidates Mustapha Muhammad and D. Scott Belin and Republican Sandy Spector in the November 2013 general election, receiving 5,234 votes to 1,061 for Muhammad, 765 for Spector and 392 for Belin. He took office on Jan.1, 2014.
Fourth Ward Councilwoman Bridget Rivers is running for mayor. In 2013, she was unopposed in the June Democratic primary and received 384 votes of a possible 2,346 ward total as of May 17, 2013. She received 806 votes in the general election, defeating Republican Barbara Johnson, who had 133 votes.
Former Citywide at-large Councilwoman Tracey Brown is running for mayor. In 2016, she sought re-election to the Citywide at-large seat but lost the June Democratic primary to Councilwoman Rebecca Williams in a 2,993 to 3,127 vote. Williams went on to run unopposed in the general election, receiving 11,224 votes. She took office as the Citywide at-large representative on Jan.1, having vacated her former Second & Third Wards at-large seat.
(The fourth mayoral candidate, Dr. Henrilynn Davis Ibezim, has not previously run for office, but according to his Facebook page ran for governor of Nigeria's Imo State in 2015.)
Among City Council candidates, Alma Blanco was Brown's Third Ward running mate in 2016 but lost the Democratic primary to Charles McRae with 718 votes to his 1,016. The total number of registered Democrats in the Third Ward before the June 2016 primary was 3,785. This year, Blanco is running for the unexpired Second & Third Ward at-large seat vacated by Williams and is running with Rivers.
Steve G. Hockaday ran in the June 2015 Democratic primary for the First & Fourth Ward at-large City Council seat. He lost, 522-548, to Barry N. Goode. The total number of registered Democrats in the First and Fourth Wards for 2015 was 5,278. In the November 2015 general election, Goode defeated unaffiliated candidate Norman Ortega, 1,072 to 320, and took office on Jan. 1, 2016. This year, Hockaday faces primary challenges from Elliott Simmons, who served as the Fourth Ward councilman several years ago, and from first-time candidate Terri Briggs.
Here are the local slates with slogans:
REGULAR DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION OF UNION COUNTY
Mayor, Four-year term: Adrian O. Mapp
Second & Third Wards Unexpired Term: Joylette E. Mills-Ransome
Fourth Ward, Four-year term: Steve Hockaday
DEMOCRATIC PARTY UNITY CANDIDATES
Mayor, Four-year term: Dr. Henrilynn Davis Ibezim
Second & Third Wards Unexpired Term: Cameron E. Cox
Fourth Ward, Four-year term: Elliott Simmons
Mayor, Four-year term: Bridget Rivers
Second & Third Wards Unexpired Term: Alma Blanco
PLAINFIELD DEMOCRATS FOR CHANGE
Mayor, Four-year term: Tracey L. Brown
Fourth Ward, Four-year term: Terri Briggs
--Bernice
The Times They Are A-Changin'Bob Dylan
ReplyDeleteWe all have been awaken to a new age, our national elections last November shocked the status quo.
Voters all around are getting involved with the process, almost feels like the Nixon / McGovern after effects. Women again after that election many made great strides to change and get involved with running for public office, many did not win, but they all made their voices heard.
Our country has been dormant and passive too long about who is running our government, With Trump in office, people are intoxicated to change the way business is done. DNC failed last year with appointing a crown on a candidate that could not bring the mid west in. Many still wished Bernice Sanders would have been the leader. Again DNC is not talking to the people, and doing what is best for their party and have not involved the people of the parties voice.
With our Governor race, the state Democrats are pushing the crown to another billionaire, did we not learn from Corzine, money bought elections are not good for the people. only for backroom deals.
This brings the point back, Grassroots, determination and try, try again is what our process is all about.
If we do not try or get involved to change the status quo. Then we have no right to complain, people need to get out and make a choice that is the Democratic Process and Our Right to Vote.
Timothy - once again you have taken out the broad brush to paint the world to match your agenda. You are eager, after less than a year in town, to change the status quo and are pushing the agenda of the group that kept Plainfield from improving for the 8 years of Sharon. Of course you wouldn't know that since you have been here a hot minute. Mapp actually disrupted a status quo that mismanaged city finances, used public resources for their personal and family use and created a reputation in the city as a place for developers to ignore. It is so non-productive to play armchair quarterback with the Mapp Administration initiatives. People that work for progress are always easy targets. Next time you are spooning with Bridget and Tracey ask them about their legislative achievements during their time on Council, PMUA or BOE. I promise you it will be a very short conversation - or just awkward silence.
ReplyDeleteBridget will give you her "building the community through community resources....." line - which is just a string of words that says absolutely nothing.
Tracey will tell you that she wants developers to "pay their share of taxes" - guess what? They are paying their share and then some - she should know that since she voted for the PILOTS that she seems to be against suddenly.
Before I would give you credit since you just arrived in town - but you obviously have your own agenda since you continue your spooning of candidates that lack the skills to move Plainfield forward.
By the way - your post was pretty much a string of hyperbolic statements with punctuation that didn't really say anything either.
People should definitely get out to vote, but no one has ever been able to answer what is the difference between the '"democrat" slates....how do they Democrats for Plainfied differ from Plainfield Democrats for Change, or the Party Unity Candidates? I suspect once in power, hard to tell the difference...Plainfield has been Plainfield the 30 years I've lived here...doesn't change at all.....sad, really...
ReplyDeleteDah I couldn’t agree more. The only change is the number of apartments going up throughout the city. Other than that, it’s the same old Plainfield. Crime and property taxes continue to go up every single year including the last four. Plainfield may be moving forward, the direction is somewhat questionable.
DeleteDAH - you haven't been paying attention. Mapp's achievement are impressive and vastly different from the most recent dem administrations. Financial management, economic development, public works improvements - the list goes on and on.
DeleteWhile nobody is perfect or will make everyone happy all the time - Mapp is head and shoulders above the other candidates - with the results to back it up.
All I know is that it is the democratic party that has made EVERYTHING Plainfield has become in the passed 30 years. Here is hoping for many more.
ReplyDeleteI have to believe that there are closet Republicans in Plainfield who can actually make a difference if they organized. Where are they, and why don't they?
ReplyDelete