[ICYMI] Understand Bloomfield Election History to Understand the Backroom Power of the New Jersey System
Illustrated here are 15-years of electing a Bloomfield Mayor
So many of us were on vacation and/or getting kids ready for school, so in case you missed this I’m sending it out again. It has gained traction with folks who know NJ politics and it’s a need-to-read for all Bloomfield voters. Consider what’s contained here before you vote in our next election.
Democratic voters in Bloomfield are often given no choice in a primary election, and as the 2024 Mayoral Primary showed us, when given a choice, one candidate is elevated (then Councilwoman Jenny Mundell) while the other (then 1st Interim Mayor Ted Gamble) is stymied. There are several patterns at play here. One is the financial consideration: In 2024 Ted Gamble collected $22.9 in campaign contributions while Jenny Mundell collected $142.9 and actually expended $151.6. Why do two candidates— fairly-equal-in-ability and experience—have such a vast difference in collected contributions?
For this article, I will focus on “not money/financials” but the “other aspects,” the backroom power—the magical portals opening up—and elections results. For more depth on the financial aspects see in The Cost of Running for Mayor in Bloomfield, NJ (Part 1) Bloomfield Chronicles in References.
I’ve made a visual display of election results and used a few articles that shed light on patterns—these patterns point to the power of the Essex County Party Bosses to shuffle some seats and insert one candidate to be appointed or to run uncontested in an election.
A look into the last 15 years shows big backroom power at play.
The 2010 Primary for Bloomfield Democratic Mayor was a race with more than one candidate—a contested election. At-Large Bloomfield Councilwoman Patricia Spychala challenged incumbent Mayor Raymond McCarthy. In June, he declared victory in the Democratic primary, and a sweep for his entire Line A ticket. “I’m ecstatic,” McCarthy said with a stern face. “I have become exhausted from this. It was a tough campaign….”
In the same article, and regarding Council Candidates, “With 34 of 35 precincts reporting, Michael Venezia was the leading vote-getter of all six [both tickets Dem and GOP] council candidates, followed by Peggy O’Boyle Dunigan and Bernard Hamilton.”
The results also showed that the LINE B CANDIDATES FAILED to win a single slot. (see Kristie Cattafi, 6/2010)
Earlier in the election season, Max Pizarro in the Observer reported that “the challenger [Patricia Spychala] doesn’t see McCarthy’s alliance with Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo as insurmountable in any regard.”
In Pizarro’s Observer article Patricia Spychala is also quoted as saying, “In the last election (2007), we beat them…He’s proud to be running with Joe D, but that’s just a marriage of convenience. He just feels grateful he has the line. We’ll let the people decide. (see Max Pizarro, 3/2010)
In hindsight, here while writing this in August 2025, the mention of Joe D and “The Line” looks ominous. Here’s a paragraph from Bloomfield Chronicles, Do Bloomfield Voters Matter? February 2025.
Above from: Joan Hussey; Feb 3, 2025; Do Bloomfield Voters Matter? Bloomfield Chronicles. Listed at end.
Beginning our 15-year history, here are the 2010 Bloomfield Mayor Primary Election results:
Author’s note: This example is placed here to see the beginning of the last term of Mayor Raymond McCarthy. It was a challenged Primary. McCarthy had Line A in the June Primary and the backing of the County Power Boss.
In November McCarthy faced a GOP competitor, John Lazar. McCarthy went on to only squeak in a November win against a GOP candidate (see below).
2010 General Election results below with a total of 11K votes:
Perhaps Democrat McCarthy only “squeaking in” a November 2010 win against a Republican in the general had something to do with this:
The 2013 Primary began with McCarthy announcing he would not seek re-election:
In 2013, an interdimensional, magical portal opens for councilman Mike Venezia
And all of a sudden, in 2013, Mayor McCarthy announced he would not run for re-election, and Venezia ran uncontested in the Primary. Truly magical!
In the November General, Venezia faced GOP Russ Mollica and Venezia won with 5,994 votes for 59%
Total Election Votes were 10.2K in the 2013 General.
Here’s 2016:
The 2016 Primary
The 2016 Primary became interesting when Councilman Joseph Lopez decided to run against Venezia.
Matt Friedman of Politico covered the new PAC, the NJ Progress Coalition that spent $60,000 on voter contact and mailers that pushed Venezia over the finish line.
Over the course of just three weeks, the PAC then collected tens of thousands of dollars from some of New Jersey’s most politically-connected people and organizations — including several that had contracts in Bloomfield or around Essex County — and spent more than $60,000 on voter contact and mailers that helped incumbent Mayor Michael Venezia and his council running mates prevail over a primary challenge from Councilman Joseph Lopez. Almost all of the PAC’s fundraising and spending occurred in the final seven days of the primary.
Author’s note: mass messaging on or just a few days before an election day signals that many uninformed voters are showing up at the polls and easily pointed to one candidate by the electioneering and pamphleting outside of the polls.
This NJ Progress Coalition money which was spent on voter contact and mailers began the trend in Bloomfield of so-called independent expenditure committees that have supplanted many of the functions of traditional political parties and campaigns in New Jersey state and local politics.
2016 General Election:
Venezia ran against GOP David Tucker and won with 73% of the vote. A total of 18K votes were cast for either mayoral candidate in this election.
In the 2019 Primary, Venezia ran uncontested and won with 99% of the votes.
In the 2019 General, Venezia ran uncontested and won with 98% of the votes in an election that totaled only 4,429 votes for this win.
In the 2022 Primary, Venezia ran uncontested and won with 100% of the votes in an election that totaled only 2,636 votes for this win.
In the 2022 General, Venezia ran uncontested again and won with 100% of the votes in an election that totaled 10.4K votes for this win.
After 2019 and 2022—six years of boring, uncontested, low-voter turnout, 2023 opens a second an interdimensional, magical portal for Mayor Michael Venezia
In 2023 Bloomfield Mayor Michael Venezia ran for State Assembly in a newly-drawn 34th district which has been called by some journalists as “the Essex County shuffle” or “the Venezia Shuffle.”
Venezia and Carmen Morales, the principal of Newark Tech High School, emerged as the leading contenders for two open State Assembly seats after an Essex Democratic screening committee gave them the nod. They were nominated. This was not a primary election.
Venezia and Morales would replace Britnee Timberlake (D-East Orange) and Ralph Caputo (D-Nutley). Timberlake is running for the State Senate, and Caputo plans to resign after Senate confirms him to a seat on the Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey Board of Directors. Originally, 28th district Assemblyman Ralph Caputo was considered to be the top contender for this Assembly Seat. (Joey Fox 2/2022)
In the 2023 General Election, Venezia and Morales won their new seats in LD34.
In January of 2024, the ascension of Venezia to the Assembly necessitated a 2024 Special Primary for his unexpired mayoral term. Initially, Councilman Ted Gamble was picked by his council colleagues to be the first “Interim Mayor” of Bloomfield.
In the June 2024 primary, Venezia’s preferred candidate, Councilwoman Jenny Mundell won with the help of the County Boss Power. (See Do Bloomfield Voters Matter? Bloomfield Chronicles link in references)
Ted Gamble continued to be the First Interim Mayor until the 2023 General where GOP David Tucker lost to Jenny Mundell. Total votes for both candidates: 22.4K
Mundell was sworn in by Assemblyman Michael Venezia a few weeks later in November when election results were confirmed and thus Mundell became the 2nd Interim Mayor.
June 2025 Primary: Mundell’s 3rd election for Mayor
In the June 2025 Primary, Jenny Mundell ran uncontested and won, thereby making a 2025 General uncontested a potential win and begin a full 3-year Mayoral term. That changed when Joan Hussey, Democrat District leader in Ward 1 District 9 and the author of this article, decided to run for Mayor as an Independent in the General.
So far, in Mundell’s 3 mayoral elections in 2024 and 2025, the grand total is $356K.
Her 2024 Primary collected a total of 143K in contributions. Her 2024 General collected a total of 69K in contributions. Her 2025 Primary collected 144K in contributions. [See my August 4, 2025 Substack The Cost of Running for Mayor in Bloomfield, NJ (Part 1) ]
https://bloomfieldchronicles.substack.com/p/the-cost-of-running-for-mayor-in
Before we elect Jenny Mundell for a 3-year term as “the mayor,” (REMINDER: with this election, this interim business will be over), let’s reflect on what has been accomplished in Bloomfield in the last 2, 3, 10 or 15 years. Has all this political boss power helped us? Has all that money given to this candidate or Venezia helped the people of Bloomfield? Do we know what happens with all the PILOT funds that the town receives in lieu of taxes from the builders that continue to build “luxury rentals” that attract high incomes that inflate our town’s average income and cost us State Funding for Schools by making us look “rich.” Why don’t we leverage something out of these builders before we give them the tax breaks? Why do we cross dangerous streets while these buildings are under construction?
Finally, look at those 2 abandoned school buildings on Franklin Street that sit on 8 acres of hilltop property. One structure has been empty since 1986. Why at the end of his Mayoral term did Venezia get the Town Council to sign off on $10Million in ARP funds to give to Essex County Joe D for one of these schools? Was this legal?
Finally, where is our budget? Why is it a dark pit instead of an open book?
These last 15 years of Bloomfield election history illustrate the dominance of Democrats in Bloomfield as well as displays of County Boss backroom power in play. Unfortunately, seizing power incestuously breeds stupidity and it shows. Favoritism and exclusion are overplayed and a bad look. Interdimensional, magical portals opened twice for a “favorite boy” have proven to be expensive and poorly calculated for the betterment of our town. It’s all about money for the boss. Where are the good candidates coming up in the ranks of any party here in Bloomfield, or for that matter, why so few young, talented candidates in New Jersey at all?
Are we tired of complaining about this and ignoring and saying “well this is how it is?” Will this November election bring informed voters who will go to do something about it and vote?
References:
Kristie Cattafi; June 8, 2010; McCarthy, Line A, Declare Primary Sweep; Montclair Local. https://montclairlocal.news/2010/06/mccarthy-line-a-declare-primary-sweep/
Max Pizarro; March 1, 2010; Spychala to challenge McCarthy in Bloomfield; Observer. https://observer.com/2010/03/spychala-to-challenge-mccarthy-in-bloomfield/
Baristanet Staff; May 25, 2013; Bloomfield Mayor McCarthy To End 12 Year Run, Won’t Seek Re-Election (Video); Baristanet. https://montclairlocal.news/2013/05/bloomfield-mayor-mccarthy-to-end-12-year-run-wont-seek-re-election/
Matt Friedman; August 26, 2016; Mysterious PAC aided Bloomfield mayor at last minute; Politico. https://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/08/mysterious-pac-aided-bloomfield-mayor-at-last-minute-104965
Joey Fox; Feb 18, 2022; The great Essex County shuffle: Suburban Essex completely redrawn on compromise legislative map; New Jersey Globe. https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/the-great-essex-county-shuffle/
David Wildstein; Feb 24, 2023; Venezia, Morales are likely Democratic Assembly candidates in the 34th district; New Jersey Globe. https://newjerseyglobe.com/legislature/venezia-morales-are-likely-democratic-assembly-candidates-in-the-34th-district/
Joan Hussey; Feb 3, 2025; Do Bloomfield Voters Matter? Bloomfield Chronicles. https://open.substack.com/pub/bloomfieldchronicles/p/do-bloomfield-voters-matter?r=4udo56&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Joan Hussey; Aug5, 2025; The Cost of Running for Mayor in Bloomfield, NJ (Part 1) Bloomfield Chronicles.
https://bloomfieldchronicles.substack.com/p/the-cost-of-running-for-mayor-in