Newark School Board Election Results: Here's Who Is In The Lead (UPDATED)

This article was updated at 9:20 a.m. on April 22

NEWARK, NJ — Newark residents went to the polls Tuesday to vote in the 2026 board of education election.

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Six candidates competed for three open seats on the school board. Terms last for three years. The candidates were John Farrell, Tawheed Peters, Hasani K. Council, Mark Comesañas, Quamid Childs, and Lisa A. Gray.

With 87.28 percent of districts reported, Council, Comesañas and Childs had sizable leads as of Tuesday night. Here are the latest unofficial results from the Essex County Clerk’s Office (check back for updates):

• John Farrell – 1,404 votes (11.34%)
• Tawheed Peters – 1,044 votes (8.43%)
• Hasani K. Council – 3,160 votes (25.51%)
• Mark Comesañas – 2,674 votes (21.59%)
• Quamid Childs – 2,675 votes (21.6%)
• Lisa A. Gray – 1,428 votes (11.53%)

There were also three candidates competing to fill a 1-year unexpired term on the school board: Latoya Jackson, Jordy Nivar, and Tammy Hollaway.

With 87.28 percent of districts reported, Nivar was leading the race as of Tuesday night. Here are the latest unofficial results from the Essex County Clerk’s Office:

• Latoya Jackson – 1,512 votes (36.71%)
• Jordy Nivar – 1,956 votes (47.49%)
• Tammy Hollaway – 651 votes (15.8%)

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