South Ward’s New Council Member Gusciora supports Gonzalez, Feliciano, and Edwards

By Al Alatunji

TRENTON.- Trenton’s South Ward residents went to the polls on December 13, 2022, to determine who would be their next South Ward City Council member. Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg received the most votes in a close contest.

The election held on December 13th was the result of the failure of any of the candidates running for the South Ward City Council seat on November 8, 2022, to receive 50% plus one vote. The failure made a run-off election necessary between the top two vote getters in the North Ward November 8th election. The top two vote getters were Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg and Damian Malave. Figueroa Kettenburg beat Malave by 40 votes in the runoff.

Figueroa Kettenburg by winning the December 13th runoff becomes the first woman to win a Trenton City Council seat representing the South Ward. She also becomes the first Latina in the city’s history to win a South Ward seat. She will represent the South Ward for the next four years. Councilwoman-elect Figueroa Kettenburg joins West Ward Councilwoman-Elect Teska Frisby and returning East Ward Councilman Joseph Harrison as members of the City Council. West Ward Councilwoman-Elect Teska Frisby and East Ward Councilman Joseph Harrison were able to win their seats outright by getting over 50% of the votes casted in their ward races on November 8th.

Voters in the North Ward also went to the polls on December 13th to determine who would represent the North Ward on the City Council. Similarly, to voters in the South Ward, voters in the North Ward were forced into a second vote to determine its Council member since none of the candidates running on November 8th were able to obtain 50% plus one vote. However, unlike the South Ward, voters in the North Ward still remain without a declared North Ward

Council winner. Jennifer Williams and Algernon Ward, the two top vote getters on November 8th received the same exact number of votes, 425, for the December 13th runoff. No word yet has been received from election officials as to how a winner will be determined.

The final three slots on the City Council will be determined on January 24, 2023, when all Trenton voters will have the opportunity to vote as to who will be the three At-Large representatives on City Council. Similar to the North and South wards runoffs, the January 24th contest for the At-Large City Council seats was made necessary since no candidate running for the At-Large City Council seat obtained 50% plus one vote. The top six vote getters who were on the ballot on November 8th for the At-Large City Council seats will be on the ballot again on January 24th. The At Large candidates are Yazminelly Gonzalez, Crystal Feliciano, Jasi Edwards, Alex Bethea, Taiwanda Terry-Wilson, and Kadja Manuel.

Declaring that he was not look - ing for a Council to act as a rubber stamp for his edicts, Mayor Walter Reed Gusciora on December 20, 2022, publicly endorsed Yazminelly Gonzalez, Crystal Feliciano and Jasi Edwards. “The alternative [referring to the three candidates also running] will be more of the same of the last four years, that worked against us,” stated Mayor Gusciora, when making his endorsement.

With the exception of the still to be determined North Ward and At-Large winners, Councilwoman-elect Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg, Councilwoman-Elect Teska Frisby and Councilman Joseph Harrison will take office on January 1, 2023. Since there will only be three of the seven members of Council able to be sworn NJ Governor Phil Murphy might be required to appoint a temporary Council member so Trenton will be able lawfully to conduct business.

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Reporters: Al Alatunji - Laura Rodriguez Pena - Sean Jenkins

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