BELLEVILLE / NUTLEY, NJ — The Nov. 8 midterm election will prove important for residents of Belleville and Nutley, both on the local and national level.
On the national stage, Democratic incumbent Mikie Sherrill is fighting to keep her seat representing the 11th Congressional District against two challengers, Republican Paul DeGroot and Libertarian Joseph Biasco. Both Belleville and Nutley are part of the 11th Congressional District.
On the state level, Nutley residents will vote in a special election for state senator of the 28th Legislative District. Democrat Renee Burgess and Republican Joy Bembry-Freeman will face off. Burgess, who previously served as Irvington Township Council president, was sworn in as the 28th District’s state senator on Sept. 29, following the resignation of longtime state Sen. Ronald L. Rice. Burgess was chosen by Essex County Democrats in early September to succeed Rice temporarily. Burgess will serve through Nov. 8; the results of the special election will determine who will fill the rest of Rice’s term, which expires in January 2024.
On the county level, Democratic incumbent Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. is running for his sixth four-year term as county executive. The Republican challenger is Adam Kraemer.
In Belleville, there are six candidates running for three open seats on the Board of Education. Running as the “Better Belleville BOE” slate are incumbents Luis Antonio Muñiz Jr. and Gabrielle Bennett-Meany, along with challenger Michael Louis Derro. Running solo campaigns are challengers Ruben Angel Rodriguez under the slogan “Parents for Education”; Michael Sheldon under the slogan “$500 Tax Refunds”; and Lissa Missaggia under the slogan “Putting Children First.”
In Nutley, there are also six candidates running for three open seats on the Board of Education. The sole incumbent running is Charles W. Kucinski, running under the slogan “Experience Integrity Stability.” Challengers Laura Valente and Andrea Podgarsky are running a joint campaign as the “Looking Forward” slate. Running solo campaigns are challengers Tom D’Elia under the slogan “Innovative, Experienced, Invested”; Theresa Teri Quirk under the slogan “Your Voice Matters”; and Emanuele Triggiano under the slogan “Excellence in Education.”
Essex County will hold early voting for the Nov. 8 election from Oct. 29 through Nov. 6, Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Early voting will be held at the following locations:
- Watsessing Park Community Center, Bloomfield Avenue and Conger Street in Bloomfield.
- East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza in East Orange.
- Fairfield Community Center, 221 Hollywood Ave. in Fairfield.
- Irvington Municipal Building, 1 Civic Square in Irvington.
- Verona Community Center, 880 Bloomfield Ave. in Verona.
- Berson Education Center at Turtle Back Zoo, 560 Northfield Ave. in West Orange.
- Essex County Complex Parking Garage, 50 W. Market St. in Newark.
- Stephen N. Adubato Sports Complex, Building No. 24, Branch Brook Park, Bloomfield and Lake avenues in Newark.
- New Jersey Reentry Corp., 936-938 Bergen St. in Newark.
- West Side Park Community Center, 600 S. 17th St. in Newark.
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