Primary Election Results in Harrison NJ

Harrison’s 2022 Mayoral Primary Election resulted in a lighter voter turnout than the 2018 Mayoral Primary Election.  The difference between this year’s Mayoral Primary Election and the one from four years ago (2018) was Mayor James Fife had no opposition in this year’s primary.  Four years ago then 2^nd Ward Councilman Anselmo Millan ran against Mayor Fife in the Democratic Party Primary.

The yet unofficial vote count was as follows which includes Voting Machine votes, Mail-in Ballots, and Provisional Ballots.  Although unofficial at this point, the vote count is unlikely to change. There were no Provisional Ballots cast.

Mayor Fife got a total of 488 votes.  In 2018, Mayor Fife got 1294 votes in the contested Primary Election.  The difference is that 806 fewer voters cast a ballot for Mayor Fife.  If you add on the 995 Votes Councilman Millan got for Mayor in 2018’s Primary Race, 1807 fewer voters came out to vote on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, than four years ago on June 5, 2018.  No Republicans ran in either 2018 or this year.  There are registered Republicans in Harrison.

In the First Ward, Councilman Jesus Huaranga got 87 Votes.   In the Second Ward, Councilwoman Ellen Mendoza got even 100 votes.  In the Third Ward, Councilman Lawrence Bennett got 189 Votes. For the Unexpired Term of Council in the Third Ward, Delfim Sarabando received 166 votes, 23 less votes than cast for Councilman Bennett.  The vote difference may be due to voters not realizing their were two Council Candidates on the ballot and may have thought they could only vote for one of the two Council candidates. In the Fourth Ward, Councilman James Doran got 112 votes.  The top vote-getter among the Council members was Lawrence Bennett.

Delfim Sarabando was sworn in at the Centro Romeu Cascaes Portuguese American Club in Harrison rather than Town Hall for the unexpired term of fellow Portuguese-American Councilman Francisco Nascimento who retired to Portugal.

Traditionally, the Harrison Democratic Party sends out a Mayor’s letter to remind voters to exercise their right to vote.  In addition, campaign signs go up for the Democratic Party Line especially when a United States Senate or Congressional candidate is on the ballot.  Although the Mayor did not have a contested election, Senator Robert Menendez son, Rob Menendez, was running on Line A, with Mayor Fife and his council candidates, did have a contested election.  Getting out the Vote for up the line Candidates used to be, even in uncontested local elections, an important tradition going back to long-time Mayor Frank E. Rodgers.

Federal and State elected officials could rely upon Mayor Rodgers getting out the vote to ensure the victory of up-the-line candidates.  The meager voter turnout in this year’s Primary Election does not give the Town of Harrison a lot of Get-out-the Vote bragging rights that could make the difference on who gets Federal and State grants from legislators.  Both Mayor Frank E. Rodgers and Mayor Raymond J. McDonough made sure the Harrison Democratic Party got the vote out even if there was no contested election.

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