IRVINGTON — Two people are running for mayor and six for three open seats on the township council.
Incumbent Mayor Tony Vauss, who is running as a team with three incumbent council members, is facing a challenge from Paul Inman and three others seeking public office.
Candidates aligned with Vauss’ “Team Irvington Strong” slate are: Darlene Brown, Charnette Frederic and Anthony Vauss Jr. Running with Inman on a “It’s Time For A Change” slate are: Ruth Baptiste, Jude Ogu and Durrell Watford.
“I am running for mayor because I believe the residents of Irvington deserve more,” Inman said. “Our community can be cleaner, safer, and more vibrant, with better schools and recreational opportunities for all ages. We need a leader who listens, keeps promises, and fosters transparency in local government. My goal is to improve the lives of everyone in Irvington, ensuring a future where our youth, families, and seniors can thrive.”
Inman is a former housing chairman for the executive board of the NAACP. He has been on the council before and has served as president of the Irvington Board of Education. He was named Irvington Township African American Male of The Year by the council and has been a member of the Democratic County Committee of Essex County.
Vauss is a lifelong Irvington resident and a 25-year township employee. Vauss previously worked as the assistant director of the township’s Housing Department, president of the Irvington Board of Education, and as commissioner for the Irvington Housing Authority.
Vauss was elected mayor of Irvington in 2014. In his campaign literature, he notes that overall crime declined by 51%, while violent crime dropped by 72% between 2014 and 2021. There was just one homicide in all of 2025. The township experienced 14 years with more than 10 homicides between 2000 and 2014, with peaks of 27 in 2003 and 28 in 2005.
Vauss says his administration generated $4 million in additional municipal revenue, seized more than 100 illegal firearms, demolished more than 120 vacant and abandoned properties, and paved and improved more than 250 streets—helping stabilize neighborhoods while reinforcing the idea that Irvington deserves the same standards of service and attention as any other community.
The non-partisan election is scheduled for May 12. The last day to register to vote is April 21 and the last day to apply by mail for a vote-by-mail ballot is May 5.
Brown, a resident of Irvington for 39 years, is a mother of four and a grandmother of four. She is currently employed at Irvington Public Schools as chief of security. She serves as South Ward District Leader and has been president of Campfield Block Association for more than seven years. She was a commissioner for the Irvington Housing Authority and was appointed chairwoman from 2017 until 2022.
In her literature, Brown notes that she is a proud member of Jehovah Jireh Praise Worship Church Center in Newark.
Frederic was first elected on May 8, 2012 as the West Ward Council member. On May 13, 2014, she was elected as a council-at-large member. She is married to Joseph Betissan Frederic with one son.
Frederic was born in Cazale, Haiti, where she attended and graduated from Saint Trinitė, a primary school and later attended College Saint Pierre, a secondary school. In 1996, her twin brothers, mother and she rejoined her father in Irvington.
She has an associate degree from Essex County College, a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University and a master’s in healthcare administration from Seton Hall University. Since 2002, she has been a senior scientist at Roche Molecular Systems, a division of Hoffmann-La Roche, Diagnostic Co.
Anthony Vauss is the son of Mayor Tony Vauss and served as his chief of staff for more than eight years. He is currently pursuing a degree in organizational leadership at Pillar College in Newark.
His campaign literature says that he is dedicated to implementing policies that promote the development of affordable housing in Irvington, that he is committed to fostering economic development initiatives that create jobs and stimulate local businesses, that he is passionate about enhancing educational opportunities and empowering young people to reach their full potential and that he stands firmly against inequality in all its forms.
Baptiste’s literature describes her as a wife, mother, and community leader committed to making Irvington a better place for all its residents. She was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where she attended Notre Dame’s des Roses for elementary school and Centre d’études Lumière for high school.
She is currently a pre-med student at Essex County College and is fluent in four languages—English, Haitian Creole, French, and Spanish.
She moved to Irvington in 2017 and works as manager of Full Steam Recruitment Agency, helping people find stable employment, empowering them to support themselves and their families.
Watford graduated from Frank H. Morrell High School, now Irvington High School, with the Class of 1988. He earned his HVAC certification from Lincoln Technical Institute and has had a career that reflects more than 25 years of experience in property management and ownership.
Since 2009, he has operated D&S Watford Enterprise. He is a dedicated member of the NAACP.
Ogu was born in Lagos more than six decades ago to a humble Christian family of Southeast Nigerian descent. His campaign literature says that he developed a deep love for God and community, which led him into evangelism and ultimately into pastoral school from which he graduated and was ordained a reverend pastor.
He moved to the United States and earned a PhD in theology and became a naturalized citizen. He is the founding pastor of Full-Life Mission. He says that his goal is to uphold justice, advance opportunities for all, and build a society rooted in shared values, prosperity, and accountability.
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