Wednesday, April 1, 2026 n www.TheObserver.com n Volume CXXXVIII, Issue No. 47 w
UNDER THE COVER The Find the Easter Eggs contest is here. Be sure to enter. Page 14
BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
Three from West Hudson seek Democrats’ nomination for seat being vacated by Cifelli By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
T
kc@theobserver.com
hree Democrats will run for the Ninth District Hudson County Commissioners seat being vacated by the retiring Albert Cifelli, of Kearny, whose law office is in Harrison. Editor’s note: Candidates are listed and written about in alphabetical order by last name. Democratic voters will choose from Harrison Councilman Larry Bennett, Kearny PBA President and Police Officer Mina Ekladious and Kearny’s Alex Valdez in the June 2 primary. The district includes all of West Hudson and parts of the Jersey City Heights,
parts of Secaucus and parts North Bergen. The outgoing Cifelli says he was tapped to run for the seat then held by Angelo Cifelli by the late-great former Mayor of Harrison Raymond McDonough, who called him late the evening of Easter 1996 to tell him he wanted to meet with him to discuss running for the seat. The rest is history, as Cifelli has held onto the position since Jan. 1, 1997. But he tells The Observer it’s time to move on. “I’m 75 years old and have been doing this for 30 years,” Cifelli said. “When I came in, Bill Clinton was on the ballot running for his second term and I was one
Bennett
Ekladious
Valdez
of three new freeholders (now called commissioners) — Sal Vega in North Hudson, Neil Carroll in Bayonne and me. It’s time for someone new.”
Cifelli says he’s endorsing Bennett as he concludes his term. “Larry’s great at constituent services and answering people’s calls and needs,” Cifelli said. “I
like to think that was what I did well, too. When people needed help, I did what I could to help
See COUNTY, Page 4
3 incumbents, 1 newcomer seek Kearny Council seats as ‘independent Democrats’ By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
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kc@theobserver.com
unning on an independent “Team Kearny” slate, incumbent Councilmembers George Zapata (First Ward), Dennis Solano (Second Ward) and Stathis Theodoropoulos (Fourth Ward) have filed to run for re-election in the Democratic primary alongside Sarah Bonilla (Third Ward),
a lifelong Kearny resident and public health professional. She will seek the seat currently occupied longtime Councilwoman Eileen Eckel, who is retiring. Together, the slate filed more than 500 signatures to secure their positions on the ballot in June. “We’re running to keep delivering for our neighbors,” Zapata said. “Peo-
See COUNCIL, Page 3
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