Politics & Government

Eileen Ludden Looks to Bring Pragmatic Approach to Mayorship

The Democratic candidate for council said she hopes to continue much of what Mayor Jordan Glatt has started.

Is a parking space a democratic parking space or a republican parking space?

Eileen Foreman Ludden, the Democratic candidate for Mayor of Summit, says at the local level issues such as parking, for example, aren't political issues. They are pragmatic ones.

"I'm seeing talking points that don’t have much to do with the everyday solutions that go on here," she said. "I think about the people that really are pragmatic and not ideologically focused."

Ludden, an 11-year Summit resident, is a business communications and marketing consultant and mother of two.

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Now serving her second term on the Advisory Board for the City of Summit’s Department of Community Programs, Ludden is also a founding member and President of TryCan, an organization that promotes and funds programming for special needs children by training peers to be mentors in sports, recreational, social, and educational programs. Ludden has been named Citizen of the Year by the New Jersey Psychological Association and received Summit’s 2011 MLK Keeper of the Dream Award, as well as awards from the Department of Community Affairs, Bureau of Recreation for Persons with Disabilities, and the New Jersey Recreation and Parks Association. She holds degrees from The George Washington University and the University of Texas, where she was a PhD. candidate in consumer behavior and corporate communication. 

While Ludden is no rookie to giving back, running for common council isn't something she says she ever really considered.

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"But in a lot of ways it’s a natural extension of what I do," Ludden said.

Ludden said she gets paid to understand why target area think what they think or behave the way they behave. And more importantly, she helps companies, from Fortune 500 companies to non-profits, solve problems.

"The mayor’s job a lot of times it’s not just bully pulpit," she said. "It's about thinking of hat are creative out of the box solutions."

And part of solving problems isn't just the solutions that are considered but also the manner in which discussions are conducted.

"Summit’s got a lot going for it," Ludden said. "The tone and demeanor how things are being conducted today doesn't always reflect that."

Part of her job, Ludden says, is getting her clients to come together and work in a collegial way to solve problems, something she would bring to the position of mayor.

"I would prefer that we focus our debates on the issues and the philosophy and ideals," she said. "The facts aren’t open to debate."

The Jordan Factor

The 2011 General Election is a unique one for Summit coming off of Jordan Glatt's  two terms as the first Democratic mayor in the city's history.

"Jordan’s done a great job in bringing people together," Ludden said. He uses the same words but in a different voice."

The Democrats are hoping the momentum from Glatt's eight years as mayor will carry this year's slate of candidates to victory in November. If elected, Ludden said she has an opportunity to build on what Glatt has already done.

"It's big shoes to fill," she said.

Not only does Ludden say if elected she would have an opportunity to continue much of the work Glatt started as mayor, she views him a role model for the type of leader she envisions herself to be.

She recalled a time when she called Glatt on an issue and not only did he lisen to her concerns, she said he offered suggestions on how she might impact the process and ultimately the decision relating to the issue at hand.

"I don’t think he challenged me," she said. "But he invited me to be involved in the process. That's something I see him do across the board. He stretches his hand across the aisle and to other towns. He’s not ideological based. He considers what is a reasonable solution. He's very flexible and fair and he has a lot of integrity.

The Issues

Ludden says the top five issues this campaign season for her are :

  • Safety
  • Shared services
  • A vital downtown 
  • Maintaining the quality of schools
  • Managaing the city's relationship with Union County.

"It’s harder and harder for people to stay here because of the cost," Ludden said of the high cost of living in Summit that often prohibits senior citizens from being able to remain in Summit after retirement.

With Ludden and Councilwoman Ellen Dickson both running, there is a 66 percent chance Summit could elect just the second female mayor in the city's more than 100-year history.

"The positon of mayor is a little independent of those labels," Ludden said. "Being the face of Summit, being the cheerleader of Summit, there’s not another job like it."

Ludden said  more often than not, people tend to hear a lot about what’s wrong at council because we’re focused on fixing problems.

"The role of mayor is to tout what’s great about this town," she said. "To be a great ambassador for what Summit stands for."

This is the first in a series of profiles on Democratic candidates in the November General Election. Tomorrow, meet Sandy Bloom, candidate for Ward I.


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