Eight candidates have filed for four open seats across the city’s wards in the non-partisan election for a spot on the seven member council.
In the North Ward, Lynn Ogbourne is running under the “Your Voice, Our Future” banner while incumbent Tency Eason is running on a “Continuing the Progress for Orange” platform.
Ogbourne holds both bachelors and masters degrees in business and is a certified project manager with more than 10 years experience leading large scale initiatives, managing budgets and holding organizations accountable, according to her campaign literature.
“This experience has equipped me with strong financial insight, strategic planning skills and the ability to navigate complex systems which is essential for thoughtful and effective leadership,” she said.
Ogbourne is president of her block association and on the Orange Zoning Board. She said she will “put community first: protecting our neighborhoods, supporting smart and responsible development, strengthening public safety, uplifting our residents and small businesses and ensuring our children have the support, guidance and resources they need to grow and develop, and truly thrive.”
Eason is a native of North Carolina and a member of St. Matthew A.M.E. Church in Orange. She is currently the vice president of the council and has been on the council since 2002. She has served three terms as city council president and three terms as vice president.
Eason is a graduate of Caldwell University with a degree in business administration and has also received a certification in government relations from Rutgers University.
Eason says she is an advocate for a better education for the city’s children and a voice for seniors and youth. She has sponsored numerous pieces of legislation to improve the quality of life for the Orange community, she said.
Eason worked for Verizon and AT&T for 34 years, where she began her career in operator services and retired as a product manager in marketing.
One of her professional accomplishments was the implementation of the KidsCall Program, which provided runaway teens the opportunity to call home and granted them access to agencies to help them unite with their families. She is currently employed by the East Orange School District and is very involved at St. Matthew. She has previously served as president of the Orange PTA/PTO District Officers Council, as president and vice president of the Cleveland Street PTO, as chairwoman of the Planning Board. Eason is a widow with two sons, which she raised in Orange, two daughters-in-laws, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
The South Ward has three candidates seeking the single open seat: Incumbent Jamie B. Summers-Johnson running on a “South Ward Unity,” platform; Lynval H. James, a medical professional, and James H. Ward III running on a “Purposeful Leadership” platform.
Summers-Johnson is a lifelong resident of Orange. She graduated from Orange public schools and earned her bachelor’s degree from William Paterson University. She was also awarded a master of arts in education and supervision from St. Peter’s University, according to her biography.
Summers-Johnson has taught for 27 years at Ivy Hill Elementary School in Newark. She has encouraged Little Library installations throughout the South Ward and summer recreation sites. Summers-Johnson is also a state-certified lifeguard and an aquatic instructor and swimming pool facility manager.
As chairwoman of the city Council’s Housing and Business Development Committee, she advocated for projects that generate revenue and community benefits. She successfully collaborated with the Orange Police Department to establish walking patrols and new community policing equipment for her ward. Due to her advocacy, the city is pursuing improvement projects in commercial corridors and the Highland Avenue train station, according to her biography, which said that she created the South Ward rental association to bridge the gap between renters and City
Hall.
During the spring of 2021, she sponsored the “Never Alone Again Domestic Violence” organization and provided more than 300 brand new prom gowns to local seniors. Summers-Johnson is married to Irvington Firefighter Isaac Johnson and has three children.
James has been a resident of Orange for more than 20 years, according to his campaign literature, which said that he has been a member of the city’s Public Works Committee since 2017. He believes in strong and transparent leadership and has been actively involved in leadership roles for a number of Caribbean American organizations working to advance the plight of immigrants, the literature said.
He has received numerous awards for his community service including the Gov. McGreevy Community Leadership Award, the Donald Payne Leadership Citation and the Jamaica Counsel General Community Service Award. He is the founder and past vice president of the New Jersey Umpires Association and a member of the Messiah Baptist Church in East Orange. A retired salesman, he lives in the ward with his wife and son.
Ward has run previously, losing to Johnson by a small margin. He lives in the Seven Oaks neighborhood with his wife Zonasha and three children.
Ward is the founder of PEEL, a parenting, education, entertainment, and lifestyle social media group in and around The Oranges. He also co-founded the Seven Oaks Society during the pandemic to advocate for public safety, election integrity, and economic fairness, according to his campaign literature, which said that he has always believed in the power of collective action.
“I ran for council in 2022 to bring that spirit to City Hall, and while we didn’t win, I never stopped working—serving as chair of the Zoning Board and continuing to push for transparency and smart growth,” Ward said. “Now, I’m running again to carry that work forward—with deeper experience, stronger relationships, and a clear vision for an Orange that works for all of us.”
Ward believes spending is out of control in Orange and has recommendations on how to cut the budget. He is also in favor of allowing the sale of cannabis in order to collect the taxes that would result from that, and promises to create a strategic plan for attracting and retaining a diverse selection of businesses to the city’s commercial districts. James’ literature also says that he will work to establish a set of standards for all new construction and major renovation projects.
Incumbent Kerry J. Coley is being challenged in the East Ward by Antoinett Hall. Coley is running on a “Battle Tested and Mission Ready” platform while Hall’s platform is “East Ward Rising Stronger Together.”
Coley joined the Army after high school and served four years with the 82nd Airborne Division. He was hired by the Orange Police Department where he rose to the rank of sergeant before retiring in June of 2014. Coley has been a commissioner with the Orange Housing Authority for more than 10 years and is the current vice chairman of the Trustee Board at Bethel Baptist Church in Orange.
While serving on the council, Coley championed the repairing and reopening of the Colgate Park Pool, demolishing abandoned East Ward properties and establishing the Councilman Coley Summer Camp initiative. Coley also assisted the organization “HANDS” with a $750,000 grant application for the Heart of Orange Project, according to his official city biography.
Hall is a psychologist who at the age of 12 founded a community youth club to create a safe and empowering environment for young people. She currently serves as a resident psychologist and mentors 103 students through the Mentor Collective program. She studied at the University of the District of Columbia, Keiser University School of Nursing, Essex County College and Bloomfield College. She is a recipient of the Society for Collegiate Leadership & Achievement Programs Award for academic excellence and demonstrated leadership. She has served on the Essex County Committee, the Orange Zoning Board of Adjustments, the Orange Budget Committee. Within the Orange Education Association, she holds the roles of Pride chairwoman and F.A.S.T. chairwoman.
Incumbent Councilwoman Quantavia L. Hilbert is running unopposed in the West Ward.
The municipal election will take place on Tuesday, May 12.
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