Six candidates are running in the June 2 Democratic primary for 4 Commissioner At Large seats on the Essex County Commission: Deb Engel, running with Essex Reform Democrats; Marques-Aquil Lewis, Moving Essex County Forward; and four candidates endorsed by the Essex County Democratic Committee Inc. — Christine McGrath, Abdur R. Yasin, Shawn Klein, and the sole incumbent Wayne Richardson. Village Green is accepting letters of support for candidates through May 22; see our guidelines here.
I am proud to endorse Deb Engel for an At-Large seat on the Essex County Commission. She is running as an independent Essex Reform Democrat because she believes county government should be more transparent, accountable, and responsive to the people it serves.
Deb is one of the hardest-working public servants I know, who has devoted years to solving problems, building relationships, and navigating the difficult realities of local government. Long before serving on the Township Committee, Deb was already deeply invested in our community. Through her work with the South Orange Village Center Alliance, she helped support and promote initiatives that contributed to the retail and small business development that residents enjoy today. As a small business owner herself, she founded Work and Play, an innovative coworking and childcare concept that supported entrepreneurs and working families–it was the first of its kind in the U.S. During the pandemic, she stepped up once again by creating a Facebook group that transformed into a resource network that helped local business owners navigate COVID relief funding and rapidly changing regulations during an incredibly uncertain time.
Deb Engel and Nubia DuVall Wilson
As someone who served on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education (SOMSD BOE) during Deb Engel’s entire term on the Maplewood Township Committee, I had the opportunity to observe her leadership up close. Twice we were on the BOE’s Municipal Partnerships committee together, with the final year during my Board Presidency. What impressed me most was not just her intelligence or ideas, but her persistence. At the time, she served on the Engineering, Public Works & Planning Committee, where she focused on infrastructure, mobility, and long-term public safety. One of the clearest examples of her perseverance was the Greenway project connecting Maplewood and South Orange. Because portions of the pathway involved land owned by the school district, progress depended on ongoing collaboration between the Township Committee, SOMSD administration, and changing Board leadership. It took two years of advocating to get the land access needed for the Greenway.
What many residents may not realize is that municipal projects like the Greenway can take years of advocacy and negotiation before tangible progress becomes visible. Thanks in part to her determination, Maplewood is closer to having safer pedestrian and bike connections that will benefit residents for generations — especially students and families moving between South Orange and Maplewood.
What also makes Deb uniquely qualified for the Essex County Commissioner At-Large seat is her deep understanding of both local government and the everyday realities residents face. She understands that affordability is one of the defining issues facing Essex County residents today. She understands the importance of equitable public education, city infrastructure, flood mitigation, public transit, walkability, and support for small businesses. Most importantly, she understands that government works best when elected officials are willing to ask hard questions, collaborate across communities, and put people ahead of politics.
Essex County manages an enormous budget that directly impacts our taxes, infrastructure, public health, transportation, and shared services. Deb has spoken clearly about the need for greater transparency in how decisions are made and how taxpayer dollars are spent. She has also focused on practical regional solutions that can reduce costs for residents, including expanded shared services between municipalities — something she already helped advance locally through collaboration between South Orange and Maplewood public health offices.
Deb brings institutional knowledge, creativity, independence, and proven persistence to the table. She is someone who does the work, even when the work is slow, complicated, and far from glamorous. That is exactly the kind of leadership Essex County needs right now.
I strongly encourage Essex County voters to support Deb Engel for Essex County Commissioner At-Large.
Thank you,
Nubia DuVall Wilson
Former SOMSD BOE President
South Orange Resident
