2 running for District 4 freeholder seat in Democratic primary – New Jersey Hills

Two candidates – Jennifer Larsen and Leonard Luciano – are competing for the District 4 seat on the Essex County Board of Freeholders in the Democratic primary Tuesday, July 7.

The party nominee will face Republican Adam Kraemer of West Orange in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election. Kraemer lost to the incumbent, Luciano, in the 2017 general election and to Romaine Graham in a contest for an at-large seat last year.

District 4 includes Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, Livingston, Millburn, North Caldwell, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and West Orange. The term is for three years.

All nine freeholders are Democrats. Seven candidates are running for four at-large seats in the primary. Incumbents in the other four districts are unopposed.

Jennifer Larsen

Asked what makes her the best person for the job, the 15-year resident of West Orange said, “I’m a proven leader who has worked on the ground to get things done.”

As a volunteer for the Junior League of Montclair-Newark, she advocated for at-risk youth, working on family homelessness and food insecurity in Essex County.

“As an owner of a small manufacturing business, I understand the importance of using locally sourced labor and materials. My activism for social justice, women’s issues and environmental progress all speak to my commitment to the work it takes to bring about change.”

If she is elected freeholder, Larsen wants to end what she sees as the lack of transparency and accountability by the current freeholder board. “Residents cannot even get verbal answers at the public meetings!”

She pledged to stay in consistent touch with residents. “I need to hear from you to serve you better!”

She also wants to ensure that officials are working with the federal government on issues ranging from education to immigration “in a way that upholds our values, protects the Constitution and sets a good example for our children.”

Larsen pointed out that the COVID-19 crisis has hit hard in Essex County. “In addition to thanking our essential workers, we need to make sure that we as a county government are upholding paid leave, access to PPE (personal protective equipment) and to ensure safe working conditions.”

The coronavirus pandemic is not only a health crisis but an economic one, she said. “I will fight for small business and people out of work due to the COVID-19 crisis.”

Another issue she cited is the lack of clarity on budgetary decisions and on competitive bidding practices. “I will work to ensure total transparency of how every one of our tax dollars is spent.”

Larsen said she would work to make sure that the Essex County Correctional Facility, which holds people detained by the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, has independent oversight “to ensure that conditions are as humane and safe as possible right now while working toward a solution to responsibly end this contract.”

She noted that her campaign has received a lot of support from young people who are politically active as well as from long-time Essex County residents longing for a change to the status quo.

“We’ve been flooded with support from people who have not been involved before, some who didn’t even realize what a freeholder does, as they have never heard from their freeholder. They in particular are excited to be asked for their opinions on issues.”

She has been holding discussions with the community through the campaign’s Facebook page as well as town-hall meetings via video conferences.

Leonard Luciano

After serving as the District 4 freeholder since 2011, “Public service has become a way of life for me,” said Luciano, who lives in West Caldwell.

“While I enjoy working to provide a fiscally conservative annual county budget with my colleagues on the freeholder board and the county exec, I also love getting infrastructure, public safety and recreational projects done for the residents who live, work and play here in Essex County.

“It is also an honor of mine to recognize outstanding citizens that have made major accomplishments, especially high school students who I proudly can say I’ve honored in the hundreds that have accomplished great milestones in academics, sports, fine arts and community service.”

If re-elected, he said he looks forward to maintaining such recent accomplishments as:

• Replacing the Orton Road bridge in West Caldwell.

• Replacing the New Dutch Lane bridge in Fairfield.

• Installation of a traffic light and crosswalks near Washington School in West Caldwell.

• Construction of the Hilltop Reservation Dog Park in North Caldwell.

Among the top issues facing the county is maintaining a reasonable county portion of residents’ property taxes “without having to cut all the great services and facilities we provide,” he said.

Luciano also wants to ensure that communities, parks, complexes, recreational fields and facilities, and roads and bridges are safe for residents and motorists.

Also important is “working with our county prosecutor, sheriff and sheriff’s department officers as well as our local police departments and their chiefs … because if we don’t have public safety, we don’t have a community.”

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, campaigning has been placed on hold.

“Rather, I have spent my time along with my campaign volunteers, who have been such a great help, calling residents in western and northern Essex County to do wellness checks and see how we can help those that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We at the county have helped hundreds of folks navigate through applying for much needed services since they have been out of work, home and in an expected tough situation. We have helped so many by providing food, masks, appointments to get checked for COVID-19 at one of our county-run facilities, or simply walked constituents and residents through the process of applying for unemployment or SNAP benefits.

“In some cases, we have also taken pride in just regularly calling and re-calling seniors to check in and comfort them with a positive uplifting conversation that life as we knew it will return.”