KEARNY/NORTH ARLINGTON – In the upcoming June 6 Primary municipal elections, Kearny’s sitting Democrats face no opposition – either from their own party or from the GOP.
And just north of the Hudson County border, in neighboring North Arlington, neither major party will see an internal fight for the two Borough Council seats available.
Independents have until June 6 to file nominating petitions to run for the council in either community in the November general election.
For the Kearny Dems, Mayor Alberto Santos, who has been in office since January 2000, is the party’s nominee once again. Santos also serves as the clerk to the Hudson County Board of Freeholders.
Running with Santos on the same ticket – Regular Democratic Organization of Kearny – are the following council candidates: First Ward, Marytrine DeCastro; Second Ward, Richard P. Konopka and Peter P. Santana; Third Ward, Carol Jean Doyle; and Fourth Ward, Michael Landy.
DeCastro, an occupational health nurse, is completing her first term in office; Konopka, a supervisor with the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission, is seeking a second term; Santana, IT director for the Harrison Board of Education and adult evening school director for the Hudson County Schools of Technology, was appointed earlier this year to fill the vacancy created by the untimely death of Jon Giordano and will be looking to fill out Giordano’s unexpired term through 2018; Doyle, a records support specialist with the Hudson County Office of Risk Management, is the longest-serving council member with 18 years’ experience; and Landy, principal of Washington Middle School in Harrison, is seeking his fourth term on the council.
All five candidates will be bracketed in the same column on the ballot as other candidates bearing the slogan Hudson County Democratic Organization.
In North Arlington, where the Republicans currently enjoy a 4 to 2 council majority, plus Republican Mayor Joseph Bianchi, GOP nominees Daniel Pronti and Marijo (Mario) Karcic Jr. – running under the slogan Bergen County Republican Organization – will face off against the Dems’ picks, Thomas Zammatore and Kelly Velez, running under Democratic Committee of Bergen County.
Council members serve three-year terms.
Pronti is seeking his second term on the council while his running mate, Karcic Jr., hopes to reverse the loss he sustained in the last municipal contest.
Karcic is running in place of incumbent Kerry Ann Hamilton-Cruz, who opted not to seek re-election.
Zammatore previously served on the council from 2013 through 2015.
– Ron Leir
