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Jersey City Public Schools elections (2013)
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Four seats on the Jersey City Public Schools school board were up for general election on November 5, 2013. Jessica Daye, Micheline Amy and Ellen Simon defeated ten challengers to win three at-large seats. Angel Valentin defeated Carol Lester to win an unexpired term.
About the district
- See also: Jersey City Public Schools, New Jersey
Jersey City Public Schools is located in Hudson County, New Jersey. The county seat of Hudson County is Jersey City. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Hudson County was home to 652,302 residents.[1]
Demographics
According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the median household income in Hudson County was $57,660 compared to $71,180 for the state of New Jersey. The poverty rate in Hudson County was 15.1% compared to 9.4% for the entire state. The U.S. Census also found that 35.3% of Hudson County residents aged 25 years and older attained a bachelor's degree compared to 35.0% in New Jersey.[1]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Method of board member selection
The Jersey City school board consisted of nine members elected to three-year terms at-large by the district as a whole. There was no primary election and the general election was held on November 5, 2013. Four seats were on the ballot in 2013, three for three-year terms and one for an unexpired one-year term.[3]
The filing deadline for school board candidates to get on the ballot in the 2013 general election was June 4.[4]
Elections
2013
Candidates
At-large (3 year term)
- Gerald Lyons
- Incumbent
- Graduate, New Jersey City University
- Supervisor of instruction, Hudson County Schools of Technology
- Micheline Amy
- Graduate, Salisbury University
- Senior human resources manager
- Jessica Daye
- Graduate, Teachers College of Columbia University
- Bilingual special education advocate, New York Lawyers for the Public Interest
- Telissa E. Dowling
- Graduate, Saint Peter's College
- Substitute teacher, Jersey City Public Schools
- Carol L. Gabriel
- Graduate, Fairleigh Dickinson University
- Retired paraprofessional
- Dejon Morris
- Graduate, DePaul University
- Detective, Jersey City Police Department
- Lorenzo Richardson
- Accountant
- Ellen Simon
- Graduate, Northwestern University
- Freelance writer
- Gina Verdibello
- Graduate, Rutgers University
- Realtor, Century 21 Action Plus Realty
- Kevaan G. Walton
- Graduate, Seton Hall University
- Therapeutic technician, LibertyHealth Jersey City Medical Center
At-large (1 year term)
- Carol Lester
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Temple University
- Singer-songwriter, "ABC Sing With Me"
- Angel Valentin
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey
- Grants manager
Election results
| Jersey City Public Schools, At-large General Election, 3-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Jessica Daye |
21.1% | 9,351 | |
| Nonpartisan | Micheline Amy |
17.7% | 7,879 | |
| Nonpartisan | Ellen Simon |
10.6% | 4,702 | |
| Nonpartisan | Lorenzo Richardson | 10.2% | 4,511 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gerald Lyons Incumbent | 8.9% | 3,950 | |
| Nonpartisan | Gina Verdibello | 7.6% | 3,383 | |
| Nonpartisan | Kevaan G. Walton | 6.2% | 2,770 | |
| Nonpartisan | Denise Davis | 4.8% | 2,137 | |
| Nonpartisan | Dejon Morris | 4.3% | 1,914 | |
| Nonpartisan | Carol L. Gabriel | 2.7% | 1,214 | |
| Nonpartisan | Josephine Paige | 2.2% | 982 | |
| Nonpartisan | Susan Harbace | 2.2% | 961 | |
| Nonpartisan | Telissa E. Dowling | 1.4% | 608 | |
| Nonpartisan | Personal choice | 0.1% | 44 | |
| Total Votes | 44,406 | |||
| Source: Hudson County Clerk, "Official Election Results," November 14, 2013 | ||||
| Jersey City Public Schools, At-large General Election, Unexpired term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Angel Valentin Incumbent |
54.1% | 7,698 | |
| Nonpartisan | Carol Lester Incumbent | 45.7% | 6,506 | |
| Nonpartisan | Personal choice | 0.2% | 26 | |
| Total Votes | 14,230 | |||
| Source: Hudson County Clerk, "Official Election Results," November 14, 2013 | ||||
Endorsements
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop endorsed Micheline Amy, Jessica Daye and Ellen Simon for the three seats with three-year terms and incumbent Carol Lester for the one seat with a one-year term.[5] They also received endorsements from board members Vidya Gangadin, Sangeeta Ranade and Carol Harrison-Arnold along with Jersey City Council President Rolando Lavarro and Councilwomen Diane Coleman and Candice Osborne.[6]
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $79,423.00 and spent a total of $43,909.21 during the election, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[7]
Candidates running as part of Friends of Amy, Daye, Simon and Lester received a total of $35,360.49 and spent a total of $11,505.03.
The remaining candidates received a total of $44,062.51 and spent a total of $32,404.18.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Denise Davis | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Telissa E. Dowling | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Carol L. Gabriel | $502.90 | $502.90 | $0.00 |
| Susan Harbace | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Gerald Lyons | $16,910.00 | $16,466.00 | $444.00 |
| Dejon Morris | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Lorenzo Richardson | $8,200.00 | $8,200.00 | $0.00 |
| Angel Valentin | $9,250.00 | $9,096.00 | $154.00 |
| Gina Verdibello | $9,200.00 | $9,644.31 | $0.00 |
| Kevaan G. Walton | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
Past elections
Information about earlier elections can be found by clicking [show] at the right. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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2012
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What was at stake?
There were four seats on the school board up for election on November 5, 2013. Incumbents Carol Lester and Angel Valentin ran against one another for the single at-large seat with an unexpired one-year term, while fellow incumbent Gerald Lyons competed against 11 challengers for three at-large seats with three-year terms. Incumbent Sterling Waterman did not file for re-election. Josephine Paige, Peter A. Basso and Jay Cordero initially announced runs for the three-year term seats, but all three withdrew from the race before November.[8]
Issues
Alleged board meeting incivility
During a candidate forum held on October 24, 2013, Ellen Simon criticized Lorenzo Richardson for comments he made during a school board meeting in July 2012. Shortly after the hiring of district superintendent Marcia V. Lyles, Richardson denounced the hiring decision and told the board, "My advice to all of you board members: Whoever has a gun to your head, let them pull the trigger. At least you will die with respect. OK? Cause if I was in that position, I’d tell them to pull the trigger." Simon argued that this was symbolic of the degree of incivility common at Jersey City school board meetings and that Richardson had spoken inappropriately. She added that, "This rhetoric has no place in a board of education. [...]And this kind of incivility is what has torn the board apart." Richardson defended his comments, insisting that he meant the board should ignore pressure from the New Jersey state government to hire Lyles, not that he meant they should commit suicide for their decision.[9]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the Jersey City Public Schools election in 2013:[4]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2013 | Last day for filing nominating petitions in school board elections |
| June 10, 2013 | Last day to challenge nominating petitions in school board elections |
| August 12, 2013 | County clerk draws ballot positions for candidates |
| September 6, 2013 | Last day for candidates to withdraw from the general election ballot |
| November 5, 2013 | General election |
| December 3, 2013 | Certification of election results by Board of State Canvassers |
Additional elections on the ballot
This election shared the ballot with local and state elections, including the race for Governor along with seats in the New Jersey State Assembly and New Jersey State Senate. The November 5 ballot included proposed constitutional amendments that would establish cost of living adjustments for the state minimum wage and use gaming profits for veterans' organizations.[10]
See also
- New Jersey
- Jersey City Public Schools, New Jersey
- List of school board elections in 2013
- Hudson County, New Jersey ballot measures
- Local ballot measures, New Jersey
- Financial policies, education standards at stake in November school board elections
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 United States Census Bureau, "Hudson County, New Jersey," accessed October 28, 2013
- ↑ State of New Jersey Department of State, "Statewide Voter Registration Summary," accessed October 27, 2013
- ↑ Terrence T. McDonald, The Jersey Journal, "15 candidates set to run for three spots on Jersey City school board," June 24, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 State of New Jersey Department of State, "2013 General Election Timeline," accessed October 27, 2013
- ↑ Terrence T. McDonald, The Jersey Journal, "In bizarre turn, Jersey City school board hopefuls endorse teachers union," October 23, 2013
- ↑ Jersey City Board of Education - Candidates for Excellence, "Endorsements," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Standard Search," accessed December 20, 2013
- ↑ Terrence McDonald, The Jersey Journal, "Shake-ups in Jersey City school board race; three hopefuls drop out," October 15, 2013
- ↑ Terrence McDonald, The Jersey Journal, "Testy exchanges dominate Jersey City school board candidate forum," October 25, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Election Information," accessed October 21, 2013
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