Election Guide 2009

After six months, thousands of dollars, countless mailers, debates, public speeches and knocking on doors, Election Day 2009 is here and the decision is in your hands. Starting at 6 a.m., voters across Summit will be asked to pick elected officials to govern the city over the next two or four years. Summit Patch has put together the following candidate guide to provide thumbnail sketches of the candidates in Tuesday's election.

Polls open at 6 a.m. and stay open until 8 p.m. If you are in line at 8 p.m. you are allowed to vote. Voting by mail has closed, all ballots need to be dropped off the county clerk's office in Elizabeth if you wish to use this option.

City of Summit Races

At-large position

2 Year Term

The Common Council is the legislative body of city government. Council members participate in Council and committee meetings, along with serving as advocates for their wards. The At-large seat is currently a two-year term but a referendum also on the ballot would change the term to four years effective 2014.

Republican Nominee: Councilman Andy Lark

Democratic Nominee: Steve Murphy

Ward I

4 Year Term

Republican Nominee: Nuris Portuondo

Unopposed

Ward II

4 Year Term

Republican Nominee: Rich Madden

Democratic Nominee: Laura Graff Coburn

State of New Jersey Races

Governor of New Jersey

Four Year Term (Jan. 19, 2010 - Jan. 21, 2014)

The Governor of New Jersey is the state's chief executive officer. Considered the most powerful governorship in the United States, the governor proposes the state budget, signs and vetos legislation and administers the operations of state government.

Democratic Nominee Jon Corzine: Democrat Jon Corzine is the incumbent governor of New Jersey. He was first elected in 2005 and is seeking a second term. If reelected, he will be term limited out of office at the end of a second term. Prior to being elected governor, he has five years as a United States Senator representing New Jersey. Prior to entering public service, he worked professionally at Goldman Sachs, including a stint as chairman of the company. He is a former chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. A resident of Hoboken, Mr. Corzine previously resided in Summit. Mr. Corzine has been basing his campaign on his record in office, citing his work on economic policy, along with health and education policy.

Republican Chris Christie: A resident of Mendham, Republican Chris Christie is a former United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He held the top federal prosecutor's post from 2002 to 2008 in the administration of former President George W. Bush. While federal prosecutor, he was known for his work in corruption prosecutions. During the 1990s, he served one three year term as a Morris County Freeholder. He has unsuccessfully run for the General Assembly and for reelection as county freeholder. Mr. Christie's campaign has been centered on his record as U.S. Attorney, along with saying that the incumbent has overtaxed state residents.

Independent Candidate Chris Daggett: The most serious independent gubernatorial candidate for governor in 12 years, Mr. Daggett has been running a campaign based on environmental and economic issues. Mr. Daggett served in the administration of former Gov. Tom Kean in the 1980s as deputy chief of staff and commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection. While serving deputy chief of staff, he focused on education issues for Governor Kean. During the administration of former President Ronald Reagan, he served as regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, overseeing federal environmental policy and enforcement in New Jersey, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has been endorsed by the Sierra Club and the Star Ledger.

Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey

(Elected on Ticket with Governor)

Four Year Term (Jan. 19, 2010 - Jan. 21, 2014)

A newly created position, the Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is the first in line of succession to the governorship. The duties of the position will be defined by the governor. The lieutenant governor can be assigned any of the duties given to the governor and can also be given a Cabinet position, with the exception of the office of state attorney general. In the event of the temporary incapacitation of the governor or the governor's absence from the state, the lieutenant governor will serve as the state's acting governor. In the event of a vacancy in the governor's office, the lieutenant governor will serve as acting governor until a special election is held for the remainder of the term. The office was created in 2005 in response to the gubernatorial vacancies following the resignations of Governors Whitman and McGreevey.

Democratic Nominee Loretta Weinberg: A state senator from Bergen County, Ms. Weinberg has served in the State Legislature since the 1990s. She has been a senator since 2005 and previously served as an assemblywoman from 1992 to 2005. She is a former councilwoman in Teaneck and a former assistant county administrator in Bergen County. She unsuccessfully ran for Bergen County Executive in the 1990s and is known for being a reform Democrat. As lieutenant governor she intends to focus on family related issues, including education, health and human services.

Republican Nominee Kim Guadagno: Ms. Guadagno serves as the sheriff of Monmouth County, a position she was elected to in 2007. As sheriff she oversees the county's largest law enforcement agency. A former federal prosecutor, she also was deputy director of the state's criminal justice division. While a prosecutor,she prosecuted several public corruption cases, including several of the largest in New Jersey history. She was an elected town commissioner in Monmouth Beach, overseeing the Department of Public Works. As lieutenant governor she intends to focus on economic development and regulatory reform.

Indepedent Candidate Frank Esposito: A professor at Kean University, Mr. Esposito worked in the administration of former Gov. Tom Kean on education issues, including writing the state's charter school law. He served as interim president of Kean University, along with several other administrative roles at the college. As lieutenant governor he intends to focus on education and higher education policy.

New Jersey General Assembly - District 21

(Vote for Two)

Two Year Term (Jan. 12, 2010 - Jan. 10, 2012)

One of two chambers of the State Legislature, the General Assembly consists of 80 members elected from two member districts statewide. Westfield is located in District 21 which consists of towns in Essex, Morris, Somerset and Union Counties.

Democratic Party

Norman Albert of Cranford: An attorney who serves as a parttime attorney for Union County, Mr. Albert has made several unsuccessful runs for Assembly in previous years. He served one term on the Cranford Township Committee in the 1990s and was Mayor of Cranford in 1995. He was defeated for a second term on the Township Committee in Cranford.

Bruce Bergen of Springfield: An attorney, Mr. Bergen has made several unsuccessful runs for the Assembly in previous years. He serves as Township Attorney in Springfield and has represented other public clients in the region. He has also unsuccessfully run for Congress.

Republican Party

Jon Bramnick of Westfield: Mr. Bramnick was appointed to an Assembly seat in 2003 and was reelected in 2003, 2005 and 2007. An attorney in private practice, he serves as the Assembly minority whip and heads the GOP policy committee in the Assembly. He serves on the Law and Public Safety Committee and Consumer Affairs Committee as the Republican Party chairman in Westfield. He previously served as a city councilman in Plainfield and unsuccessfully sought the Ward 1 seat on the Westfield Town Council in the 1990s.

Nancy Munoz of Summit: The first widow in state history to directly succeed her husband in the Legislature, Ms. Munoz was appointed to the Assembly in May 2009 after the sudden death of her husband, Eric Munoz. She serves on the Health and Senior Services Committee and the Human Services Committee. Ms. Munoz was appointed to the seat by a special convention of Republican committee members in the district and won a competitive primary. She is a nurse by profession and has been active in education groups in Summit. This is her first run for elective office.

County of Union Races

Union County Surrogate

Five Year Term (Jan. 1, 2010 - Dec. 31, 2014)

The county surrogate is a constitutional officer of the state who is empowered to handle probate issues in the county. The surrogate probates and administers estates, establishes trusts and guardianships and processes adoptions. While both candidates this year are lawyers, the state does not require county surrogates to hold law liceneses.

Democratic Party

James LaCorte of Elizabeth: Currently completing his second term as county surrogate, Mr. LaCorte was an attorney before entering public office. In addition to the constitutional duties of his office, he has been active in speaking countywide about probate issues.

Republican Party

Art Zapoloski of Linden: An attorney, with a practice in Linden, this is Mr. Zapoloski's first bid for public office. He recently retired as a colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He was on active duty in the Air Force before joining the Reserves.

Union County Freeholder

(Vote for Three)

Three Year Term (Jan. 1, 2010 - Dec. 31, 2012)

The Board of Chosen Freeholders is the chief governing body of Union County. The Board appoints a county manager to manage the operations of state government, approves county laws, oversees county departments and approves the county budget.

Democratic Party

Alexander Mirabella of Fanwood: First elected as a freeholder in 1997, Mr. Mirabella is completing his fourth term in office. A business executive professionally, he served two terms as a councilman in Roselle Park in the 1990s, including service as council president. He is presently freeholder board chairman, an office he also held in 2001 and 2006. His wife, Phyllis, is a former councilwoman in Roselle Park.

Deborah Scanlon of Union Township: First elected as a freeholder in 1997, Ms. Scanlon is completing her fourth term in office. A paralegal professionally, she served as the freeholder board chairwoman in 2003. She is a former member of the Board of Education in Union Township, where she headed the board's finance committee. Her husband, Patrick, is a former Mayor of Union Township.

Mohamed Jalloh of Roselle: An attorney, Mr. Jalloh is seeking his first public office in this election. He has worked as an assistant county counsel and has been active in Democratic politics in the county.

Republican Party

Anthony Sytko of Garwood: An attorney, Mr. Sytko is serving his first term as a councilman in Garwood. First elected in 2007, he serves as chairman of the borough's buildings and grounds committee. He briefly served on the borough's Board of Education in 2005 and twice ran unsuccessfully for the Borough Council.

Nicole Cole of Fanwood: A first time candidate for elective office, Ms. Cole is an attorney by profession. She works in her own practice in Cranford and previously worked for the State Senate Republican Caucus in Trenton. This is her first run for elective office.

Independent Ticket

Hope Thompson of Plainfield: A resident of Plainfield, Ms. Thompson is running as part on an independent ticket centered on issues surrounding the closing of Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield. This is her first run for elective office.

Karen Gielen of Scotch Plains: A retired nurse from Muhelnberg Hospital in Plainfield, Ms. Geilen is a first time candidate for elective office. She is running on a platform based on the closing of Muhlenberg Hospital. This is her first run for elective office.