Former Maplewood Deputy Mayor Deb Engel is running for one of four at-large seats on the Essex County Commission in a contested primary. Primary day is June 2. Engel sought the Essex County Democrat Committee’s endorsement at their March 20 convention but did not receive it. She is now running under the Essex County Reform Democrats banner. Engel held her official campaign launch at Pallet Brewing Company in Maplewood on March 23. Read her campaign press release here:
MAPLEWOOD, NJ (March 24, 2026) — Former Maplewood Deputy Mayor and small business owner Deb Engel filed her petition for Essex County Commissioner At Large on Monday, after launching her campaign in a packed room at Pallet Brewing Company in Maplewood this weekend. For years, Engel has been a vocal advocate for fair competitive primaries. Engel’s campaign is part of an Essex County-wide effort to put the voice of the people first in elections in New Jersey, and to usher in a new era of openness, diverse political engagement, and transparency.
Engel is a single mom of three, a former small business owner, and recently concluded a three-year term on the Maplewood Township Committee. She also served for five years on the board of South Orange’s special improvement district.
South Orange Councilwoman Summer Jones said, “Having worked with Deb, I know she is a proven leader, a hard worker, and someone who thinks independently and puts community first. She has always looked for ways to expand opportunities for our two towns. Representation at the county level matters. We deserve someone who will not only understand our needs, but bring them to the table and fight for them.”
Engel, who is running with the Essex County Reform Democrats slogan, has pledged to lead and support reforms at the Essex County level. She has made clear she will use her voice to speak up on voter rights and accessibility for all who seek to run for office.
“The end of the county line has made it easier to run for office; however, we need campaign finance reform so the economically disadvantaged also have a chance to compete,” said Engel. “Expensive primaries are not good for the pocketbook or for democracy. Your eligibility to be elected should not be dependent on the amount of money you can raise; it should be about the ideas you bring to the table and the lived experience you can share with your colleagues and constituents.”
Engel, who speaks openly about her own financial challenges, also brings a much-needed focus on the affordability crisis facing residents of Essex County.
“Affordability is the number one crisis facing Essex County residents,” said Engel. “We have more municipalities located in our small geographic area than nearly any region — that leads to incredible diversity and community, but also to duplicative services that cost taxpayers money they don’t have. We need to find ways to expand regional and shared services to save money and not continually raise taxes.”
Engel aims to continue advancing complete streets policies and move forward sustainable initiatives. “We need to build infrastructure, like protected bike lanes and expanding public transit, to make it easier to move around locally and regionally without the reliance on personal automobiles. At the same time, we need to build better charging station infrastructure to make it easier to drive electric vehicles. Fewer cars and lower toxic emissions are necessary for the environment we live and raise our children in.”
Engel is also speaking out forcefully on the issue of immigration enforcement in Essex County. She called the practice of ICE agents removing people from the streets and placing them in detention centers — cut off from communication with their families and local officials — deplorable. Engel believes Essex County has an obligation to push back against the expansion of these operations in the region and to demand safer, more humane conditions at Delaney Hall for those being detained and for their loved ones.
“If Essex County was able to create well-maintained and efficiently run vaccination centers so quickly during Covid, there is no reason we cannot also create better and safer environments at Delaney Hall,” said Engel. “This should be a no-brainer.”
Engel is asking Essex County residents to join her in building a more transparent, equitable, and compassionate county government. For more information on her campaign, visit debengelforessex.com.
