In response to a statement by Maplewood Township Committee member Deborah Engel that she lost votes that would have made her mayor in 2025 after she failed to endorse U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill for governor, numerous gubernatorial candidates and the Maplewood Democratic Committee have made statements.
The MDC, which hosted the mayoral caucus on Nov. 26, released the following statement on Nov. 27:
“The Maplewood Democratic Committee, which is completely volunteer led and operated, has been at the forefront of advocating for election reforms for years and continues to do so. Each year, the Committee hosts the Township Committee, our local elected officials, as they choose the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the term beginning on January 1. Individual members of the Township Committee typically speak about and discuss these roles prior to the caucus meeting each year, as evidenced in Ms. Engel’s comments. Ms. Engel’s comments clearly set forth that her frustration lies not with the MDC, but with an individual or individuals on the Township Committee. Our Chair, Ian Grodman, spoke immediately with Ms. Engel after the meeting out of concern that her comments suggested that he or the MDC may have been involved in what she was alleging. Ms. Engel agreed that was not the case, and apologized if it appeared that way.”
According to reporting by New Jersey Globe, Sherrill distanced herself from the Maplewood caucus, saying in part, “As Deb said, this did not come from our campaign and has no place here.” Fellow Democratic gubernatorial candidates Sean Spiller and Steve Fulop criticized the actions of those who would place an endorsement condition on the caucus.
Read more here: Maplewood mayor dispute is now an issue in governor’s race
In her statement, Engel credited Mayor Nancy Adams for “continuing to remind me that female voices, female representation and female support of each other matters” while criticizing “the men in this room [who] pitted us women against each other, including me and my dear friend the newly elected Malia Herman.” Engel then “enthusiastically” seconded the nomination of Nancy Adams as mayor for 2025.
Read more here: After Some Political Drama, Nancy Adams Voted Maplewood Mayor for 2nd Year, Malia Herman to Be Deputy Mayor
