IRVINGTON, NJ — After many stops throughout New Jersey, beginning in Monmouth County, the election on Tuesday, Nov. 5, also saw Gov. Phil Murphy campaigning with Mayor Tony Vauss, Team Irvington Strong and Irvington Democrats as the governor made a scheduled stop in Irvington to campaign and show his support for Jamillah Beasley, Orlander Glen Vick and Romain Graham.
The governor and his wife concluded an energetic schedule with an additional 14 campaign stops on Election Day. The couple made 59 campaign appearances ahead of the election, covering more than half of the state’s 21 counties and spending time in several of the most competitive legislative districts.
In a quote sent by Murphy to the Irvington Herald ahead of Election Day, the governor said, “I’ll personally be in Irvington on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Election Day, campaigning for Councilwoman Jamillah Beasley and the entire line A team. I hope to see some of you at the poles in Irvington. God Bless and thank you all.”
The unofficial results are in, with challengers Graham, Vick and Beasley winning on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Graham, a Democrat, easily won the open Essex County Board of Chosen Freeholders at large seat that was vacated by longtime board member Lebby Jones, who died in January. According to the Essex County Clerk’s Office website on election night, with 549 of 550 districts reporting, Graham received 56,443 votes, or 77.39 percent, to Republican Adam Kraemer’s 16,230 votes, or 22.25 percent. There were 257 write-in votes.
In the race for the two open Irvington Municipal Council seats, Vick ran unopposed for a North Ward seat, garnering 614 votes, or 98.56 percent, with all nine districts reporting. There were nine write-in votes. Beasley received 919 votes, or 59.68 percent, defeating Al-Tariq Shabazz, who received 620 votes, or 40.26 percent, for the South Ward seat, with all nine districts reporting in. There was one write-in vote. Vick and Beasley will take the two seats vacated by longtime board members Sandra Jones, who died July 11, and David Lyons, who died Aug. 11.
All election results remain unofficial until certified by County Clerk Christopher Durkin.
After many stops throughout New Jersey, beginning in Monmouth County, the election on Tuesday, Nov. 5, also saw Gov. Phil Murphy campaigning with Mayor Tony Vauss, Team Irvington Strong and Irvington Democrats as the governor made a scheduled stop in Irvington to campaign and show his support for Beasley, Vick and Graham.
The governor and his wife concluded an energetic schedule with an additional 14 campaign stops on Election Day. The couple made 59 campaign appearances ahead of the election, covering more than half of the state’s 21 counties and spending time in several of the most competitive legislative districts.
In a quote sent by Murphy to the Irvington Herald ahead of Election Day, the governor said, “I’ll personally be in Irvington on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Election Day, campaigning for Councilwoman Jamillah Beasley and the entire line A team. I hope to see some of you at the poles in Irvington. God Bless and thank you all.”
“I consider myself a community servant and I do it because I want to do it,” Vick told the Irvington Herald in a phone interview after the election. “The election was something that I looked forward to and it was awesome. It was teamwork. We have a saying: ‘Teamwork makes the dream work.’ As a team, everyone came together and did a great job and I’m very happy with the outcome. I will continue to serve my community and the township as a whole.”
“I am very excited to have won the primary and the general election,” Graham said in a phone interview after the election. “I’m filling big shoes of Lebby Jones and I’m grateful that I was elected to continue her legacy. I’m just ready to continue to work as a freeholder on a county level and I’m a public servant, so I’m here to serve my constituents to the best of my ability.”
Beasley also said she was grateful for the support of residents.
“I feel honored and blessed,” Beasley said in a phone interview after the election. “I feel honored, because the residents chose me to represent the South Ward of Irvington. I feel blessed, because this is a position that has been held by some pretty awesome people. I’m glad I was chosen to represent them.”
“They were the epitome of public service,” she continued. “Lebby Jones, Sandra Jones and my father, D. Bilal Beasley. I’m excited and I look forward to working with the mayor and my colleagues to move the township forward.”
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