Incumbent Newark City Councilmembers Eve Marie Little and Matthew Jorgens were leading their opponents, Tonya Connolly and Noah Grushkin, in the race to retain their seats, according to early results from Tuesday night.
Jorgens was elected to the City Council in 2022, while Little won a special election in 2024 to replace predecessor Mike Bucci, who resigned in the middle of his term.
Newark city councilmembers are elected at-large, which means that Jorgens, Little, and the two challengers, Connolly and Grushkin, all appeared on the same ballot, with the two candidates with the most votes being elected to the City Council.
As of Tuesday night, Little and Jorgens were leading the race, having secured 37.1% and 35.4% of the counted votes, respectively.
Little worked as a teacher, a catering director at NASA, and a director of consular affairs for the Consulate of Ghana before her political career, according to her campaign website.
“[Little’s] life experiences — from growing up in a bicultural English and Spanish-speaking household, teaching college courses in Asia, and working at an African consulate — have shaped her belief that every culture, perspective, and voice deserves to be heard and respected,” the statement about her candidacy read.
If reelected, Little wants to provide additional resources to first responders, build more affordable housing and organize more events for seniors and children in Newark, according to her campaign website.
Lifelong Newark resident Jorgens ran for reelection on a platform of more affordable housing, creating more public spaces, and enhancing public safety in the city, according to his campaign website.
In his second term, Jorgens wants to “continue working to build a Newark where you can truly be a part of your community, where you can feel safe, where you can spend your time in vibrant places, and where you can be proud of where you live,” he said in his candidate statement.
Retired maintenance superintendent Connolly, who had garnered 23.5% of the vote as of Tuesday, listed fiscal responsibility, support for public schools and emergency services, and fixing roads as her priorities in her candidate statement.
Finally, Grushkin, who had 3.9% of the vote, said his top priority is to reallocate funds toward improving the quality of life for Newark residents, such as repaving roads, improving the city’s educational system, and attracting new businesses.