Stunning Upset In Belleville As Vélez Claims Victory In Mayor Election

BELLEVILLE, NJ — “Let’s do this Belleville!” That was the reaction from Frank Vélez in the wake of Tuesday’s municipal election – which likely ended with his victory in a hotly contested race for mayor.

Belleville voters went to the polls on May 12 for the town’s 2026 nonpartisan municipal election.

Michael Melham was up for re-election as mayor. He ran on the “Better Belleville” slate alongside at-large town council candidates Naomy DePeña and Yolanda Luna.

Vélez, a town council member, ran for mayor as the challenger. He launched the “We Are Belleville” slate alongside town council candidates Danyale Wells and Michelle Rodríguez.

With 100 percent of districts reported, Vélez has apparently captured a victory over Melham. His two running mates, Wells and Rodríguez, have apparently won the council race. The results remain uncertified, but the challengers each hold wide leads.

>> RELATED: 2026 Election Results For Belleville Mayor, Council

Vélez claimed victory late Tuesday night. Identifying himself as “mayor-elect” and his running mates as “council-elect” members, the councilman celebrated what he called a “resounding victory” in a video posted to social media.

“From the bottom of our hearts – thank you for believing in change,” he declared.

An official statement is being prepared, he added.

Tuesday’s presumptive win would cap a trifecta of recent election victories for Vélez. He set a local record when he won office as Belleville’s youngest-ever board of education member at the age of 19 in 2021, and later repeated that feat as a 22-year-old when he was elected as the town’s youngest-ever councilman in 2024.

Rodríguez and Wells also claimed victory in late-night social media posts.

“Literally no words… just gratitude,” Wells commented. “Thank you, Belleville. Ready to do the work.”

Rodríguez posted that it was 12:30 a.m. and she was still wide awake.

“I can’t even explain the emotions I’m feeling right now,” she said. “We did it, Belleville!”

“I want to thank all of you, our volunteers, and supporters who got us to where we are now,” Rodríguez continued, also sharing her message in Spanish.

“Your encouragement, advice, concerns, and questions pushed us to keep going because we want to make a difference,” she said. “You came out to vote because you want change and you want respect. We are going to work together to do what’s right for our town and for all of you. July 1 can’t come soon enough, but in the meantime, I am looking forward to seeing you all around Belleville.”

• Related: Vélez Launches Bid For Belleville Mayor

• Related: Belleville Mayor Candidates Pick Council Running Mate
  

DEPUTY MAYOR: ‘OUR TOWN IS STRONGER AND BETTER’

Naomy DePeña, who currently serves as Belleville's deputy mayor, penned a message on Wednesday conceding the race and congratulating the We Are Belleville slate on their presumptive victory.

“The election results were not in our favor and while this outcome is deeply disappointing, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank every person who believed in us, supported us, prayed for us, encouraged us, volunteered, shared our message and stood beside us throughout this journey,” DePeña wrote.

“Serving the people of Belleville these last eight years as councilwoman and deputy mayor has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life,” she said. “Serving alongside Mayor Michael Melham has been an even greater privilege. Together, we worked relentlessly to build a Better Belleville, and I have no doubt our town is stronger and better today than it was eight years ago.”

DePeña continued:

“During our administration we faced challenges head-on, invested in our community, expanded programs, improved services, supported families, businesses, seniors, and youth, and built a foundation that future leaders will now inherit. Anyone taking it from here will benefit from the groundwork this administration laid with vision, persistence, and genuine love for this community. Thank you for leading with optimism instead of bitterness, with vision instead of vendettas, and for building a movement driven by love for this town and its people. To my running mate, Yolanda Luna: you are one of a kind leader with so much integrity and love for this community. Belleville truly missed out.”

“One of the hardest realities of local government is this: so few people participate in shaping the future of their own town,” DePeña said.

“We work tirelessly to encourage civic engagement, yet consistently only a fraction of residents choose to vote,” DePeña said. “Local elections matter deeply because the decisions made here directly impact our neighborhoods, taxes, schools, services, safety, development and quality of life.”

The deputy mayor congratulated Velez, Wells and Rodriguez.

“Serving this town comes with enormous responsibility,” she wrote. “We may have very different visions on government, leadership, and even life itself. New leadership does not automatically mean better leadership, but for the sake of our residents and the future of Belleville, I truly hope they lead well and make decisions rooted in what is best for our community and its people. Because at the end of the day, this is not just where I served, this is my home, my community, and where my family and business are rooted.”

DePeña thanked her family, friends, business acquaintances – and even her pets – for sticking by her side during the campaign.

“The truth is, in leadership there will always be critics,” DePeña said. “Eventually someone else gets to be the ‘villain’ on Facebook because unhappy people will always need someone to blame. That's politics. But no amount of noise will ever erase the work, the love, and the intention behind what we built together.”

“No election result will ever erase the work that was done, the lives impacted, or the love we poured into this community,” she concluded. “Con Dios!”

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