Wayne Election 2023: See Council Candidates Who Filed To Run

WAYNE, NJ — The nominating petitions are in, and the field for the Wayne Township Council election has taken shape.

There are contested races coming up in four wards, where incumbents are seeking to hold their spots. Council President Franco Mazzei is not on the ballot for another term in Ward 3, according to candidate petitions filed with the township clerk. The Wayne Republican Regular Organization (WRRO) selected Board of Education trustee Michael Fattal as the candidate for that ward.

The candidate filing deadline was March 27, and one candidate was a write-in.

Wayne’s nine-member council has six members elected to specifically represent neighbors in a section of the township (or “ward”), and three members elected at-large to serve the whole town.
Right now, there are eight Republican members and one Democrat. Mayor Chris P. Vergano, a Republican, is in his fourth term.

Wayne lawmakers withdrew a petition earlier this year to make Vergano’s position full-time, and greatly increase his salary, on the mayor’s request.

Wayne Democrats are putting forward three candidates along with incumbent Fran Ritter, who represents the 5th ward, to challenge for wards 1, 4, and 6.

These are the contested races for Wayne Township Council, according to the township clerk’s office. Each party only put forth one name for these races, so primaries will be uncontested in June.

There are contested races coming up in four Wayne wards, where incumbents are seeking to hold their spots.

• In Ward 1, incumbent Republican Richard Jasterzbski faces Democratic challenger Arlene Sullivan.
• In Ward 5, incumbent Democrat Francine Ritter faces Republican challenger Matthew Cavallo, the Wayne First Aid and Safety Commissioner and a volunteer firefighter.
• In Ward 6, incumbent Republican Jonathan Ettman faces Democratic challenger Peter Rosky.
• In Ward 4, incumbent Republican Joseph Scuralli faces Democratic challenger Mercedes Aguirre, a write-in candidate.

Here are the candidates running unopposed, according to the township clerk’s office.

• Ward 2: Al Sadowski (incumbent)
• Ward 3: Michael Fattal, also a Wayne Board of Education trustee.

Fattal and Cavallo are members of the Passaic County Young Republican organization, said the WRRO.

Primary Election Day is June 6 in New Jersey. This year's election cycle will also feature races for all State Senate and Assembly seats.

Editor's note: This story was updated to include a write-in candidate.