With 21 of 21 district reporting, and early and mail-in ballots counted, Maplewood Mayor Vic De Luca and John Sullivan have won the Democratic primary for Maplewood Township Committee.
De Luca garnered 3,417 votes; Sullivan came in second with 2,869.
Martin Ceperley came in third with 2,391 votes.
At a watch party at Avenue Pub on Springfield Avenue, Sullivan shared the following victory speech (which he sent to Village Green via email):
“Thank you to the voters of Maplewood. We did this together. With the grit and sweat of a small but mighty team who never eclipsed the spotlight but ran steadily in the background, spreading the word and gathering feedback. Your support and encouragement throughout the campaign is what made this victory possible. I have nothing but the deepest of gratitude and I am humbled by every single one of you who went to bat, stepped out of your comfort zone and fought for me every day! You gave of your time, your talents and your personal lives. I vow to do the same. For all of you and for all of Maplewood. Every voice. Every neighborhood.
“To the other candidates in this race, Martin and Vic, this race never belonged to any one (or two) of us; your ideas, comments and campaign approaches allowed me to consider different views, hidden challenges and new conversations,” said Sullivan. “I thank you for playing out every point with intensity, for creating interest in this election and for being true gentlemen along the way.”
Sullivan concluded, “This is what democracy looks like. The hard work starts now. I ask all of you to stand with us during the next leg of this journey; Let us listen without judgment. Let us represent the underserved. Let us include the overlooked. Let us lead by example and champion this town for future generations! Let us thrive together!”
Ceperley shared a gracious concession note via email.
“I want to congratulate Vic De Luca and John Sullivan on their hard fought race,” wrote Ceperley. “I am incredibly proud of the campaign our team and volunteers ran, and our ability to use this campaign to raise concerns and bring more people into the political process. I want to thank everyone for their support and look forward to working together continuing my advocacy work to move Maplewood forward in the future.”
See results on the Essex County Clerk’s website here: https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Essex/126379/web.345435/#/detail/49
