ESSEX - Voters in five Essex County towns decided to return all but three incumbents to their respective mayoral and council seats May 11.
Orange's Linda Jones-Bell scored the only other upset after East Ward voters chose her over incumbent Lisa Y. Perkins. Voters in Orange's three other wards otherwise retained Hassan Abdul-Rasheed, Tency Eason and Edward Marable, Jr.
West Orange voters chose Councilman Robert Parisi as John McKeon's successor as mayor over John Schmidt. Incumbent Susan McCarthy and newcomer Victor Cirilo were chosen as Township council members.
In Irvington, voters returned Wayne Smith for a third mayoral term. At-large council members D. Bilal Beasley, Lebby C. Jones and Andrea C. McElroy were also retained.
Belleville voters also kept Raymond Kimble as mayor plus incumbent councilmen Kevin G. Kennedy and Michael Nicosia.
Essex County Clerk Christopher J. Durkin said, as of 10:52 p.m. May 11, 57,011 registered voters went to the polls and another 871 mailed in their ballots. The overall 57,882 voters who turned out for elections in the five towns amounted to 25.36 percent of 228,285 registered county voters.
Absentee and provisional ballots will be counted before Durkin can certify the results May 25. The two week interim period also allows for any prospective challenges or recounts to be considered.
Attorney and former Montclair mayor Anthony Russo arrived at 9:45 p.m. with results of the West Orange mayoral election.
"It's close," Russo said before all the votes were tallied. "Parisi has 4,700 votes and Schmidt 4,500."
In the end, Parisi actually received 4,750 and Schmidt 4,590 for a 50.81/49.10 percent split.
Several political observers had placed West Orange with Newark as two of the "must watch" elections among 68 towns statewide. McKeon stepped down after 12 years to concentrate on his assembly duties.
Some people looked for whether the township's voters, who turned down a school budget that had a 7 percent increase, would oust council incumbent Susan McCartney over taxes.
Instead, Township voters retained McCartney - who drew 3,987 markers or 24.61 percent of the vote. Voters, at 3,308 and 20.42 percent, also picked Victor Cirilo for the other council seat.
Jerry Guarino (3,125), Joe Krakoviak (2,810), Rudolfo Rodriguez (1,861), Jill Tekel (1,100) and 12 write-in votes rounded out the field.
In Orange, East Ward voters helped Jones-Bell unseat incumbent Perkins, 332-311, with all four districts reporting. The split between the challenger and the former City Council President is 45.11/42.26 percent. Darryl Harrington drew 93 votes for 12.64 percent.
North Ward Councilwoman Tency A. Eason, among all Orange sectional races, was the city's top vote-getter. Eason drew 342 votes or 44.76 percent to challenger Antoine Tony DeSormes' 271 votes and 35.47 percent. Former councilman Donald Page got 151 votes for 19.76 percent.
Local Talk found a light turnout at a North Ward district polling station around 1 p.m. There was no wait at the YWCA day care building at Park and High streets and the vote counter stood at 90.
Voters selected current Orange Council President Edward B. Marable, Jr. to continue serving as South Ward councilman from among four candidates.
Marable drew 301 votes for 46.79 percent of the ward vote. April Gaunt-Butler (162) edged Murphy Wilson (152) as top runner-up. Derrick Griggs (122) and a write-in also ran.
West Ward voters retained Abdul-Rasheed over challenger Andrea Elliot. Abdul-Rasheed received 209 votes or 54.01 percent to Elliot's 178 or 45.99 percent.
Irvington voters granted Smith a third mayoral term against four challengers on the ballot and returned three at-large incumbents.
Smith drew 2,401 votes or 47.89 percent of the vote. Gene E. Etchinson (1,066) was the nearest challenger. Second Ward Councilman David Lyons (979) was next. Antonio N. Sabas (322), Quadir Selby (241) and five write-ins followed.
Township voters also returned the three at-large council candidates. Beasley, who is also a county freeholder, drew the most votes (1,986) for the largest percentage (18.51) from among nine candidates. Jones (1,661) and McElroy (1,513) also made the cut.
Linda Vann-Dupree (1,396) was placed fourth and running mate Harry Paden (1,009) fifth. Kenneth Waller (953) placed sixth, ahead of Eric Dixon (882) and Etchinson running mate Teleus Brazier (828). Clifton Beckley (497) and six write-ins also ran.
Belleville voters returned Kimble (1,788) to mayoral office against challenger Susan Citarella (684) by a seven-to-two ratio. The retired police chief had been removed from a township manager post by a previous mayor-council. There were three write-ins.
Voters also retained Nicosa (1,739) and Kennedy (1,481) on the council over Sean Goldrick (718) and 24 write-ins.
Meanwhile, Newark saw an upset in the South Ward, as former councilman Ras Baraka defeated Oscar S. James II 4,487 to 2,897. Other that James II, all eight other councilpersons retained their seats, along with Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, who defeated runner-up Clifford J. Minor 21,242 to 12,670.
The above elected officials are to be sworn into office on or near July 1.
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