Two incumbent council members were defeated in last week’s elections while one incumbent won his race and another ran uncontested.
Eight candidates had filed for four open seats across the city’s four wards in the non-partisan election for a spot on the seven member council.
In the North Ward, Lynn Ogbourne defeated long time council member Tency Eason in one of the surprise upsets. Ogbourne received 239 votes, or 59.64%, of the total while Eason, got 161 or 40.36% of the 394 votes cast.
Ogbourne ran under a “Your Voice, Our Future” banner. She holds both bachelors and masters degrees in business and is a certified project manager, according to her campaign literature.
Ogbourne 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.”
In the South Ward, three candidates were seeking the single open seat. James H. Ward III won election with 378 votes, or 48.23% of the total, defeating Jamie B. Summers-Johnson, who had 312 votes, or 40.63% of the total, and Lynval H. James, who received 85 votes or 11.14% of the
763 cast.
Ward had 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.
“This campaign was built around the idea that Orange deserves a more transparent, responsive, and forward-looking local government — one that keeps residents informed and actively involved in shaping the city’s future,” Ward said. “As I enter this term, some of my immediate priorities will include improving transparency and public access to information. I want residents to be able to clearly understand how city money is being spent, what projects are moving forward, and how decisions are made.”
Ward said he will be advocating for the creation of citizen-facing digital dashboards that track the municipal budget, capital projects, OPRA request completion, redevelopment activity, and key quality-of-life metrics.
“I’ll also be focused on responsible development and land use policy,” he said. “Over the past several years, many residents have expressed concerns about the pace and character of development in Orange. I believe we need smart redevelopment that grows the tax base and creates opportunity without overwhelming neighborhoods or removing residents from the process.”
Ward said that infrastructure and day-to-day city services will be another major priority.
“Residents consistently raise concerns about road conditions, sanitation, illegal dumping, flooding, traffic safety, lighting, and general responsiveness from government,” Ward said. “I want to improve communication between residents and city departments while also using data and technology to better track issues and performance.”
Economic development, supporting small businesses, improving walkability, and creating partnerships that encourage investment while keeping Orange’s identity intact are also on his agenda, Ward said.
“One of the most important things on my agenda is restoring confidence in local government,” Ward said. “People want to feel heard again. They want transparency, consistency, professionalism, and leadership that is accessible. I plan to maintain open communication with residents, continue holding conversations in the community, and make information more readily available instead of harder to find.”
Incumbent Kerry J. Coley was challenged in the East Ward by Antoinett Hall. Coley won with 290 votes, or 65.90% of the total cast, defeating Hall, who had 155 votes, or 34.10% of the 437 votes cast.
Coley ran on a “Battle Tested and Mission Ready.” An Army veteran who also served on the Orange Police Department, Coley championed the repairing and reopening of the Colgate Park Pool, demolishing abandoned East Ward properties and establishing the Councilman Coley Summer Camp initiative.
Incumbent Councilwoman Quantavia L. Hilbert ran unopposed in the West Ward. She received 232 votes.
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