Stefano Calella
Stefano Calella was an at-large member of the Elizabeth Board of Education in New Jersey. He ran to serve on the board again but lost the general election on November 4, 2014.
On June 20, 2013, he was appointed to the school board to replace John Donoso, who resigned due to allegations that he and his wife had attempted to cover up an illegal false application for the district's federally subsidized school lunch program.[1][2] Calella lost his re-election bid in a general election on November 5, 2013.
Biography
Stefano Calella is a resident of Elizabeth, New Jersey. Calella graduated from Elizabeth High School in 1991. He is employed as a construction manager by Eii Inc. and ExxonMobil.[3]
Elections
2014
The election in Elizabeth featured three at-large seats up for general election on November 4, 2014. Incumbents Rafael Fajardo, Francisco González, and Paul Perreira ran against challengers Ana Maria Amin, Stefano Calella, Maria Z. Carvalho, Malik J. Jackson, Anthony Padlo, and Virginia San Pedro. Perreira won re-election, and Amin and Carvalho were added to the board.
Two slates competed for the seats. The Continue the Progress slate included Fajardo, Perreira, and Calella. The Unity for Education slate included Amin, Carvalho, and Jackson. González, Padlo, and San Pedro did not run as part of a slate, and all three candidates withdrew prior to the general election.
Results
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan |  Ana Maria Amin |
17.8% | 5,772 | |
| Nonpartisan | Paul Perreira Incumbent |
17.4% | 5,642 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria Z. Carvalho |
17% | 5,527 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rafael Fajardo Incumbent | 16.7% | 5,429 | |
| Nonpartisan | Malik J. Jackson | 16.6% | 5,400 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stefano Calella | 14.3% | 4,640 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 28 | |
| Total Votes | 32,438 | |||
| Source: Union County Clerk, "Official 2014 General Election Results," November 14, 2014 | ||||
Funding
Calella ran as part of the "Continue the Progress" slate, which did not report any contributions or expenditures during the election, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[4]
Endorsements
Calella did not receive any official endorsements for his campaign during the election.
2013
Calella ran unsuccessfully for re-election against eight other candidates for one of three at-large seats in the general election on November 5, 2013.
Results
| Elizabeth Public Schools, At-Large General Election, 3-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Carlos M. Trujillo Incumbent |
18.5% | 4,604 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stan Neron |
17.8% | 4,430 | |
| Nonpartisan | José M. Rodríguez |
14.8% | 3,685 | |
| Nonpartisan | Stefano Calella Incumbent | 14.6% | 3,646 | |
| Nonpartisan | Cristina Pinzon | 14.4% | 3,588 | |
| Nonpartisan | Anthony Padlo Incumbent | 14.3% | 3,569 | |
| Nonpartisan | Luis F. Rincon | 2.1% | 531 | |
| Nonpartisan | Maria Da Rassi | 2.1% | 527 | |
| Nonpartisan | Osment Spencer | 1.3% | 329 | |
| Nonpartisan | Write-in votes | 0.1% | 18 | |
| Total Votes | 24,927 | |||
| Source: Union County, New Jersey, "UC 2013 General/School Election," November 14, 2013 | ||||
Funding
Calella ran as part of the "Continue the Progress" slate, which reported $131,849.00 in contributions and $88,150.90 in expenditures to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[5]
Endorsements
Calella did not receive any official endorsements for his campaign.
2014
Issues in the election
Super PACs in local elections
The Elizabeth Board of Education approved a resolution in March 2014 calling on U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D) and Bob Menendez (D) to pass legislation preventing Super PACs from becoming involved in local elections. In the 2013 election, a group called the "Committee for Economic Growth and Social Justice" spent $176,116 in three school board races, including the one in Elizabeth Public Schools. Elizabeth Board President A. Tony Monteiro criticized the spending and stated, "We've never experienced or expected that outside interest groups would come in and invest this kind of money into a local school board race. [...] It boggles the mind."[6] Two challengers supported by the Super PAC, Stan Neron and José M. Rodríguez, defeated incumbents Stefano Calella and Anthony Padlo. Both Calella and Padlo ran for re-election in the race on November 4, 2014.
The Super PAC was launched in August 2012 by individuals affiliated with state Senator Raymond Lesniak (D-20), who had clashed with the Elizabeth Board of Education following a federal investigation into the district’s school lunch program. The 2012 investigation resulted in two board members and two district attorneys being charged with "falsifying school lunch program applications." After the investigation concluded, Lesniak publicly supported the removal of all board members, while the board endorsed his 2011 and 2013 Democratic primary challengers.
Lesniak defended the Super PAC, to which he contributed $15,000 in 2013, noting that it voluntarily discloses its donors even though it is not legally required to do so. He also argued that the 2013 incumbents were not at a significant disadvantage, stating, “They raised hundreds of thousands of dollars a year from vendors and public school employees. They should pass a resolution barring candidates from accepting donations from public school employees and vendors if they were serious about campaign reform.”[7]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Stefano + Calella + Elizabeth + Public + Schools"
See also
- Elizabeth Public Schools, New Jersey
- Elizabeth Public Schools elections (2013)
- Elizabeth Public Schools elections (2014)
External links
- Elizabeth Public Schools
- "Continue the Progress" slate campaign website
- "Continue the Progress" slate campaign Facebook page
- LinkedIn page
Footnotes
- ↑ NJToday.net, "Stefano Calella replaces John Donoso on the Elizabeth Board of Education," June 21, 2013
- ↑ NJToday.net, "Former Elizabeth School Board Member, Attorneys Charged In Alleged Coverup," April 30, 2013
- ↑ Elizabeth Public Schools, "Stefano Calella, Board Member," accessed October 30, 2013 (dead link)
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Standard Search," accessed October 15, 2014
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Standard Search," accessed December 27, 2013
- ↑ USA Today, "Federal super PACs spend big on local elections," February 25, 2014
- ↑ The Star-Ledger, "Elizabeth school board wants Super PACs out of local elections," March 27, 2014
| 2014 Elizabeth Public Schools Elections | |
| Union County, New Jersey | |
| Election date: | November 4, 2014 |
| Candidates: | At-large: • Incumbent, Rafael Fajardo • Incumbent, Francisco González • Incumbent, Paul Perreira • Ana Maria Amin • Stefano Calella • Maria Z. Carvalho • Malik J. Jackson • Anthony Padlo • Virginia San Pedro |
| Important information: | What was at stake? • Key deadlines • Additional elections on the ballot |
