Democratic Mayor Carol Jean Doyle cruised to an easy victory over three-time mayoral candidate Republican Sydney Ferreira to earn her first full term as Mayor of Kearny in one of the most lopsided victories in Kearny electoral history. Her entire slate of Town Council candidates were also all re-elected rather handily.
It was one of the most contentious races in recent memory, harkening back to the mid- to late-90s when campaigns here last got this nasty.
Though the election results have not yet been certified, with 100% of the districts reporting, Doyle earned 5,674 votes to Ferreira’s 3,029. (65% to 35%).
In the first Ward, Democratic incumbent Marytrine DeCastro beat Republican businessman Smiley Whala 1,137 votes to 468. (71% to 29%)
In the Second Ward, Democratic incumbent Jose Rodrigues turned Republican Margarida Fernandes aside with a 1,009 to 498 vote tally. (67% to 33%)
In the Third Ward, Democratic incumbent Fred Esteves had 1,880 votes to Republican business owner Jorge Dos Santos’s 1,077. (66% to 34%)
And in the Fourth Ward, Democratic incumbent Gerald J. Ficeto easily held off Republican challenger Anthony Morales 1,489 votes to 882. (63% to 37%)
The Democrats won all but one district townwide.
This was a saturation election where the GOP clearly outspent the Democrats by a significant margin. Once New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission stats are released, we will offer the specific amounts spent by each of the two parties. However, the state and national Republican Party clearly poured in significant cash into the Kearny election, based on the number of mailers and other campaign paraphernalia that were not paid-for locally.
All of the victors spoke after results flowed in on Election Night.
“I want to thank all of you for your continued support,” an exuberant Doyle said at a victory celebration at the Kearny American Legion Post. “I thank you to all who put up signs, and I want to remind all the council candidates to pick those signs up after! … These council members behind me make me look good. They really do. They go out every day. If you have a complaint, they are at your doorstep. I can’t ask for more than that. … I am so privileged and humbled to be your mayor.”
Next was DeCastro.
“We did it again,” DeCastro said. “I am so grateful and so blessed to be a part of this journey. We’re fighting back and we’re working hard and that’s because it’s in our blood and this is what we do and that’s because of you. Thank you. … We are a team — we are one.”
Next was Rodrigues.
“I want to thank the mayor for her confidence in me,” Rodrigues, elected to his fist full term, said. “Our team, my family, and everybody else —thank you!”
Next, Esteves spoke.
“This big win is not just my win, it’s a win for and from everyone,” Esteves said. “I feel humbled to be on a great team. Carol Jean is a great leader. “As are Marytrine, Joe and Ficeto (Esteves often jokes calling Jerry Ficeto by his last name). They’re all really great. We all worked very hard. I tell ya, I think I walked and knocked on doors of more than 990% or our (Third) Ward. And these are the results we get for working very hard. And there’s a reason I did this — to work for you. And I thank you very much.” Esteves also thanked his wife, Doralice, family and campaign supporters for their help and guidance.
And finally, it was Ficeto’s turn.
“Thank you Mayor Doyle for having the confidence in me,” Ficeto said. “Like Marytrine said, we are one. It’s not our win, this is a win for Kearny. I want to thank my wife, Denise, my daughters Alyssa and Ashley, my sons-in-law Michael and Brian for their support and thank you all.”
The victors will be re-sworn sometime the first week of January.
The Town Council gets back to work Wednesday, Nov. 5, with a regular meeting at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, 402 Kearny Ave.
We’ll have more in the coming days, including information about the race in North Arlington, where Republicans Kirl Del Russo and Amanda Decicco both won re-election.
Learn more about the writer ...
Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.