SOMA Action’s ‘Vanquish the Villains’ campaign empowers community

SOMA Action’s ‘Vanquish the Villains’ campaign empowers community

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — SOMA Action, the South Orange/Maplewood–based grassroots organization focused on driving progressive change, provides fun, easy and effective opportunities for community members to make a difference in the upcoming election. With fewer than 60 days until the election, many people want to make a difference, but don’t know how. SOMA […]

Area activists write letters to boost turnout in fall pandemic election

Area activists write letters to boost turnout in fall pandemic election

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Looking to improve voter turnout during a pandemic presidential election, social justice activists at Bnai Keshet in Montclair organized letter-writing parties via Zoom for the community this summer, stockpiling nearly 3,000 letters heading into fall. The effort’s organizers, Lisa Auslander and Jessica Brater, started a Civic Engagement Committee under the Social Justice/Tikkun […]

Residents vote to build a special needs playground

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The town’s voters didn’t just have the chance to choose their elected officials in the Nov. 6 election, they also had a say in how their tax dollars would be spent. In addition to a statewide public question on the ballot, West Orange voters had a town-specific public question: a non-binding […]

Parisi decisively wins mayoral election

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Incumbent Mayor Robert Parisi earned a decisive victory in the Nov. 6 election for mayor, garnering approximately two votes for each vote his opponent, Councilman Joe Krakoviak, received. Parisi will add four more years as mayor to the eight years he has already served. All results from the Nov. 6  election […]

Adams and Lembrich win sweeping victory for TC seats

MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The majority of Maplewood voters have again made clear that they want an all-Democratic Township Committee. Democratic incumbents Nancy Adams and Greg Lembrich won their seats back by a large margin, with Independent candidate Ileana Castillo in a distant third place. All results from the Nov. 6 election remain unofficial until certified […]

McCartney and Matute-Brown elected to Township Council

WEST ORANGE, NJ — With five candidates running for just two open seats on the West Orange Township Council, this election season was divisive and a true challenge for all candidates. On Nov. 6 though, West Orange voters chose who will represent them on the council for the next four years: Susan McCartney was re-elected […]

Maini, Cuttle, Farfan win seats on the BOE

SOUTH ORANGE / MAPLEWOOD, NJ — In an intense election that saw eight candidates running, the voters decided Nov. 6 to re-elect Annemarie Maini, and elect Shannon Cuttle and Javier Farfan to the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. Cuttle was the top vote-getter, with Maini, who ran a joint campaign with Farfan, a close second. […]