The May 10th nonpartisan elections feature clashes in two of New Jersey’s three largest municipalities, in addition to several more intriguing contests. In Newark, Mayor Ras Baraka seeks to maintain control of his city council against the larger backdrop of his own statewide ambition. In Paterson, Andre Sayegh wants to be the first mayor to win reelection to a second term since Jose Torres accomplished the feat back in 2006 in an almost ungovernable city.

Baraka, Sayegh, and other incumbents all under-take their reelection efforts with a record of having governed in unprecedented times, during the era of COVID-19, just months removed from Governor Phil Murphy barely surviving his own reelection.

Both in Newark and in Paterson, challengers have identified crime, specifically violent crime, as the most pressing problem.

In this special InsiderNJ report, we examine the players, the issues, the intangibles, and the political context in six of New Jersey’s key nonpartisan elections, paying particular attention to Newark, where voters assess all nine city council seats, in addition to the mayoralty.

Download Insider NJ’s May Municipal Elections Special Edition or view it below: