EAST ORANGE, NJ — East Orange Mayor Lester Taylor officially announced his own run for re-election on Friday, Oct. 7, just after he and the other members of the city’s Democratic Committee joined with Essex County Democrats to endorse Phil Murphy, a former Goldman Sachs executive and U.S. Ambassador to Germany, in his bid for governor in 2017.
“I, Lester Taylor, am running for re-election as the mayor of the city of East Orange,” Taylor said Friday, Oct. 7. “We have worked very hard to set the standard for urban excellence in East Orange. We have achieved a number of starts in our city, but we have to finish what we’ve started. We’ve quadrupled almost the number of private investment in our city. We’re approaching $400 million of private investment in our city. We have affordable priced housing developments coming. We have retail. We have commercial. We have market rate residential. We have something for everyone.”
But the best thing East Orange has going for it, said Taylor, is great teamwork, as was on display when the entire Essex County Democratic Committee came together to endorse Murphy.
“I’m just so very excited, but also humbled, to have the support of our council chairman and our entire City Council in East Orange, who work together as a team, something, quite frankly, you don’t see in other places,” said Taylor. “No one person can do it alone. Everyone puts their interests aside and focuses on what’s best for East Orange, and so it’s great to be part of that environment.”
City Council President and 3rd Ward Councilman Ted Green also announced he will run for re-election in 2017 and hopes his council colleagues will see fit to re-elect him to serve a second consecutive term.
“My options are open and I’m being clear about that in terms of what I want to do,” said Green on Friday, Oct. 7. “As an elected official over the years and being the council chairman this year, I’ve proven to folks that I bring good leadership, good ideas and I have a vision also for this city that has given me so many opportunities. I want to thank my council colleagues for giving me the opportunity to lead them and prove that I can be a team player. I’m looking forward to being re-elected as council chairman and I believe that it will happen.”
First Ward Councilman Chris James also announced his own bid for re-election to a second consecutive term next year and added that Green could count on his vote.
“At this present time, I’m looking at running for re-election and, at this point, unless something changes, I’m going to be with the Taylor administration again, going in for another four years,” James said Friday, Oct. 7. “Why would I leave, when everything is working good? Nobody leaves when it’s good.”
James cited the stabilization of the city budget, reopening the golf course, the development that is currently under way, and getting the water system up and running as among the council’s accomplishments.
“It’s been interesting. It’s good being able to do constituent services and get people the services that they need. I like governing, being able to help people out,” James said. “Being an operative, after the campaign is done, you’re done. I still have that spirit of when the campaign is going on and all that stuff, but governing is actually having someone call and say: ‘Hey, my house caught on fire, I don’t have anywhere to go.’ And making the calls to make sure they get someplace to get in.
James said he expects it to be easier for councilmembers running to for re-election to win over their peers than the whole city.
“It’s only nine other people, compared to hundreds and thousands in a primary election,” said James. “Council Chair Ted Green has been doing a great job. I‘m with him all the way. He talked to me a couple weeks ago, to make sure he had my vote. We’ve had a great year with him. Anytime I’ve needed anything on the council — needed to talk to him or get something worked out — he’s always been there. So I don’t see any reason to change where we’re at with leadership.”
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