Verona Town Council Candidate Forum Planned At Community Center: Election 2026

Verona residents will also vote in two school board races this November.

By Eric Kiefer, Patch Staff

Oct 13, 2026 1:46 PM EDT

VERONA, NJ — Get ready for some local politics in Verona.

A spot on the Verona Town Council is available this year, which opened when Cynthia Holland stepped down in June. The candidates in the non-partisan special election are Jason Woods, Katherine Hartwyk, Jacqeline "Jackie" Rosa, and Corey Schor, who was temporarily appointed to fill the seat until the general election.

A forum will take place for the town council candidates at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20 at the Verona Community Center, 880 Bloomfield Avenue. Registration is recommended; learn more here.

SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION

Meanwhile, two school board races are also taking place in Verona.

There is one full term available on the Verona Board of Education. The candidates are Daniel Frenklakh, and Michael Boone.

There is also an unexpired term on the school board available with two candidates: Diana Ferrera and Robert Goman. A third candidate, Anthony Deo, will appear on the ballot but has withdrawn from the race, myveronanj.com reported.

OTHER RACES

Here are some other races that Verona voters will be asked to cast ballots for in the midterm election:

U.S. Senator – A U.S. Senate seat is open in New Jersey. The candidates are Justin Murphy (Republican), Cory Booker (Democrat), Joanne Kuniansky (Socialist Workers Party), and Veronica Fernandez (Independent).
U.S. House of Representatives (10th District) – Verona is located in the state's 10th congressional district. The candidates are Carmen Bucco (Republican) and LaMonica McIver (Democrat).
Essex County Executive – The candidates for Essex County executive are Maritza Mathews (Republican) and Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. (Democrat).
Essex County Board of Commissioners (At-Large) – There are four at-large seats available on the Essex County Board of Commissioners. The Republican candidates are: Demetrius Eley, Daniela Ferreira Almeida, Douglas Freeman, and Sahwa DeFrank. The Democratic candidates are: Christine McGrath, Abdur Yasin, Deborah Engel, and Wayne Richardson. There is also an independent candidate: Wynnie-Fred Victor Hinds.

Essex County Board of Commissioners (4th District) – There is also a county commissioner seat up for grabs in the 4th district, which includes Verona. The candidates are Adam Kraemer (Republican) and Leonard Luciano (Democrat).

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