4 Candidates Claim Wins In West Orange Mayor, Council, School Board Elections

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The dust has cleared from West Orange’s 2026 municipal races, and although the final results remain uncertified, four candidates have declared wins in one of the most-closely watched elections in the town’s recent history.

On Tuesday, voters went to the polls to choose a new mayor, two town council members and a board of education member.

>> MORE: Election Results For West Orange Mayor, Council, School Board

Joyce Rudin has claimed victory in the mayor race. Other candidates included Joe Krakoviak, Tammy Williams, Susan McCartney, Susan Scarpa, Phillip Orphanidis, and Brian Rock.

Jackie Hendy and Justin Goldsman have assumed wins in the town council race. Other candidates included Matthew Dvorin, Kenneth Gibbons, and Micaela Bennett.

Larry Weintraub has claimed a win in the board of education race. Other candidates included Maria Vera, and Brendan Mims.

Rudin, Hendy, Goldsman and Weintraub each issued post-election statements on social media after Tuesday’s results were reported. Here’s what they had to say:

Joyce Rudin

“West Orange, we did it!

“My heart is overflowing with gratitude for every vote, every kind word, every message, and every ounce of support. You believed in a vision for our town, and together we made it happen!

“To our incredible volunteers, supporters, friends, and families who gave so generously of their time, energy, and encouragement, this would not have been possible without you. I am grateful beyond words. Thank you to every resident who opened their home to us for meet and greets and opened their door as we came knocking.

“This election was about more than choosing a new mayor. It was about choosing leadership that is transparent, accountable, and puts residents first.

“It was also a hard-fought election, and emotions ran high. We heard strong opinions, passionate disagreements, and different visions for the future of our town. But now that the election is behind us, let’s come together around something we all share: a love for West Orange and a desire for our community to thrive.

“Whether you voted for me or not, your concerns matter, your ideas matter, and your voice deserves to be heard.

“Thank you to everyone who stepped forward to run for office. It takes courage, commitment, and a willingness to serve. Congratulations to Jackie Hendy and Justin Goldsman on their election to Town Council. I look forward to working collaboratively with them and the other members of the Council. Congratulations also to Larry Weintraub for joining the BOE.

“There is important work ahead, and I am excited about what we can accomplish together…as soon as I come up for air.

“The campaign is over, but our work together is just beginning.”

See Rudin’s campaign website here, and read her Patch candidate profile here.

Jackie Hendy

“Good morning, West Orange.

“To everyone who believed in me, walked alongside me, spoke to their friends and neighbors, encouraged me, challenged me, and gave their time, energy, and support to this campaign: thank you.

“To my extraordinary team, who gave so much of themselves to this effort, I am deeply grateful. To my family, who have been part of this journey in more ways than they probably bargained for, I hope I've made you proud. And especially to my husband, Jeff, whose patience, love, and unwavering support made so much of this possible. I couldn't have done this without you.

“I want you to know that I understand the weight of the trust you've placed in me. I believe your support reflects a desire for leadership grounded in honesty, integrity, and empathy. Leadership that does its homework, asks difficult questions, and takes the time to understand the issues. Leadership that holds people accountable without being cruel, listens before drawing conclusions, and recognizes the difference between disagreement and division. I don't take that responsibility lightly.

“One of the greatest gifts of this campaign has been the people I've met and the conversations we've shared. I hope those conversations will continue. Whether you voted for me or not, I want to hear from you. Please keep talking to me, challenging me, and offering your counsel. I intend to keep listening.

“I'd also like to congratulate Micaela Bennett, Matt Dvorin, and Ken Gibbons for their willingness to put themselves forward in service to our community. I've sincerely enjoyed the moments when we connected as neighbors rather than competitors, and I hope we can carry that spirit forward. And congratulations to my fellow winners, Justin Goldsman and Joyce Rudin. I look forward to the good, honest work ahead.

“People want change. They've made that clear. And I'm both humbled and excited to have the opportunity to be part of it.”

See Hendy’s campaign website here, and read her Patch candidate profile here.

Justin Goldsman

“Good morning, West Orange,

“I am humbled by the outpouring of support that the people of West Orange entrusted with me at the polls. This is my hometown, where I was born and raised, and I can promise you this: I will always listen to your concerns and ideas even when we disagree, I will always do what I think is best for our town, and I will never extinguish a burning desire to see West Orange grow and prosper.

“This election cycle was mean, brutal, and exhausting. I am proud that we ran a campaign that stayed above the fray. We knocked on over 11,000 doors all over town. We engaged folks where they were at. We focused on policy - real policy solutions - and not personalities. To our amazing volunteers, everyone who made a call, hosted a house party, told their friends, passed out flyers, not possible to do this without you.

“To my family - I love you. Your patience, support, shoulders, and endless help made this possible. And to you Dad, Floyd, I love you and miss you. Watch over this town and help us do great things!

“I am optimistic about the future of our town. Whether you voted for me or not, your voice carries equal weight. No matter what neighborhood you come from, how much money you make, who you love, how you worship, or where you were born, your voice carries equal weight. I want to hear from you. Truly.

“I have reached out to every mayoral and BOE candidate to offer them congrats on their willingness to serve our town.

“To Ken Gibbons, Micaela Bennett, and Matt Dvorin, it has been a great pleasure to be able to call you colleagues throughout this cycle. Thank you for a few laughs at the early voting site, the ideas and energy you contributed to the campaign cycle, and the time and commitment you exhausted to improving our town.

“To our Mayor Elect Rudin, my future colleague Councilwoman Elect Hendy, and BOE Member Elect Weintraub, I cannot wait to work alongside you to collaborate, to build, to learn from each and grow, and to advance our township. The people are sending us to do the work, let’s work together and get it done!

“Councilwoman Casalino, Councilman Krakoviak, I’m excited to get to work alongside you.

“We are at an inflection point, and I’m ready to get to work. I hope you’ll join me in that effort. Let’s collaborate, disagree without being disagreeable, and always remember that this is bigger than any elected office or official. It’s about us, and the kind of future we seek to build together here in West Orange!

“On that note, today the work begins. If you’re interested in serving as a volunteer appointment to any of our town commissions that a Councilmember gets to appoint, please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/NEtF8mShzdBhoa8UA

“There is a vast array of talent all over West Orange, and I want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to volunteer their skills to help our town.

“I will be knocking doors still once sworn in to continue to learn from residents about their issues. We will be doing a December town hall as well, date TBD.

“As the youngest elected official in West Orange, I’m excited about this next chapter. Let’s go WO Town!”

See Goldsman’s campaign website here, and read his Patch candidate profile here.

Larry Weintraub

“I am humbled to have received the support and trust of more than 6,500 West Orange voters, and been elected to become a member of the West Orange Board of Education.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have engaged in a positive discussion of what we can do for our schools with two wonderful residents of town, Maria Vera - West Orange Board of Education and Brendan Mims.I have enjoyed engaging in discussion with both of you, and hope that will continue into the future. Thank you.

“I know I did not receive everyone's vote, and additionally, that many did not or cannot vote. Nevertheless, ALL of you are constituents, and I will represent everyone in West Orange with my service to the West Orange Public Schools, NJ. My door is always open, and I would love the opportunity to meet in person and discuss concerns, suggestions and offers to help.

“We move forward together, as a town. With hard work, and a positive disposition we can solve our problems. Planning Excellence Together encapsulates the hope of a community ensuring the high quality education of all of our students.”

See Weintraub’s campaign website here, and read his Patch candidate profile here.

CONCESSIONS

Other candidates have since issued concession statements, congratulating the presumptive winners and thanking their campaign teams.

They included:

Tammy Williams – “Congratulations, Joyce Rudin for Mayor-elect. I genuinely wish you well as you take on the responsibility of serving our beautiful town of West Orange. Personally, I’m proud of the campaign my team and I ran and grateful for the people I got to know along the way. To everyone who knocked on doors, made calls, put up a yard sign, or took the time to talk with me about what matters to you most, thank you! West Orange is home, and it meant a great deal to have the support of so many of my neighbors. Our work is not done and I look forward to what tomorrow brings.”

Micaela Bennett – “Congratulations to Joyce Rudin, Jackie for West Orange and Justin Goldsman for West Orange Town Council. Triple J, all the way. To the more than 5400 people who voted for me and the incredible number of volunteers - thank you! And, to Team Micaela... I'm incredibly honored and humbled by you all.”

Kenneth Gibbons – “Thank you to everyone who volunteered, donated, and voted for me. Above all, I thank God and my family. Meeting so many of you across our neighborhoods and hearing your stories was a true privilege. Congratulations to the winners. I know they’ll work hard for everyone in our town, and I wish them success. West Orange is the town my family has called home for four generations, and I’ll always support and advocate for it. Wishing everyone the best.”

Matt Dvorin – “Well, that was an experience. I guess I sort of won the election for town council because I got to meet some amazing West Orange residents who deeply care about the community and want what’s best for it, as well as deepen existing relationships with pals who stood by me from the beginning. But in a more accurate sense, the race was won by Jackie Hendy and Justin Goldsman. Both candidates ran terrific campaigns and will bring a lot of good ideas and commitment to town council. I supported Jackie from the very beginning and have no doubt she will serve the town well. This was my first time doing something like this, and I could not have done it without my lovely campaign manager/wife Kiki. I also could not have done this without the many people who donated to the campaign and took time to speak with me about their concerns. I’ll continue to work for West Orange in whatever way the future holds.”

Phillip Orphanidis – “Congratulations to Mayor-elect Joyce Rudin. Thank you to every voter who took part in this election, and to everyone who supported our campaign. One of the most meaningful parts of this mayor's race has been meeting so many people across West Orange, hearing your stories, and sharing your hopes for our town. As a first-time candidate for Mayor alongside elected officials with years or even decades of campaigns behind them, I'm proud of what we accomplished together: Our campaign pushed the administration to take action on ICE and pressed the council to remove the rent cap ordinance's two-year sunset provision, making those protections permanent. We aren't going anywhere. I remain committed to this community and to doing my part for its future. Thank you, West Orange.”

Maria Vera – “A Heartfelt Thank You to the West Orange Community! As I reflect on my journey running for reelection to the West Orange Board of Education, I feel happy, accomplished, and proud of the way I conducted my campaign. Receiving 6,086 votes fills my heart with immense gratitude. Each vote represents the trust, encouragement, and support of members of our community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! Throughout this campaign, I had the opportunity to connect with so many wonderful people. I received thoughtful emails from parents asking important questions to clarify their concerns and make informed voting decisions. During my canvassing, I had meaningful conversations with parents, grandparents, and community members who shared their concerns, hopes, and expectations for our schools. These experiences reminded me why I have dedicated so many years of my life to education and public service. Listening, respecting different perspectives, and putting our students first have always been my priorities. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to my dear friends and mentors, Sandra and Romi Herrera for their guidance, encouragement, and unwavering support. A special thank you to my campaign manager and campaign treasurer for their dedication, hard work, and commitment throughout this journey. A very special thank you to the wonderful group of students who volunteered their time to help distribute my campaign postcards. Your enthusiasm, kindness, and willingness to help meant so much to me. Your contributions were an important part of reaching 6,086 votes. I am deeply grateful for your support! To the parents, friends, and family members who attended my very first Meet and Greet at Cafecito Shop, thank you for believing in me, listening to my vision, and encouraging me throughout this journey. Your presence gave me confidence and motivation to continue moving forward. Regardless of the election outcome, I feel a deep sense of accomplishment and pride. I ran my campaign with integrity, respect, honesty, and a genuine commitment to our students, families, and community. To the 6,086 voters who supported me, thank you for believing in me. Your trust means more than words can express. I would like to close with an inspirational message from former President Barack Obama, whose words remind us that opportunity belongs to everyone: You can make it here in America if you're willing to try. I strongly believe that regardless of our background, race, age, abilities, or circumstances, every person deserves respect, acceptance, and the opportunity to succeed. My journey continues with faith, gratitude, confidence, respect, and love for our community.”

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