Tuesday’s West New York Board of Education election turned out to be a one-sided affair, as the “Your Children’s Future” slate of Police Lieutenant Henry Codina and Trustees Sandra Pfeil and Avlen Joyer won three-year terms, while Stephanie Gonzalez, a first-time candidate running unopposed for a one-year term, outdistanced Brandon Fontanez, Jenny Garcia and Julissa Zubiaga by margins of more than 5 to 1.
With Board President Adam Parkinson and Trustee Marielka Diaz stepping down from the Board to run for a Town Commission seat on Albio Sires’ slate in the May 9th election, the BOE will name a new President at its next meeting.
West New York voters also overwhelmingly passed a school budget with nearly 79-percent of the vote that contains no tax increase.
The sweeping victory in the Board of Education by the incumbents could be a preview that portends a trouncing victory by the B slate over the A steam in the looming mayoral election on May 9th counter indicating the predictions of this editorial page of a close contested elections pitting an iconic politician of West New York who has been away from the from direct access to street local politics for sixteen years versus the young upstart who has been on the ground building personal relationships during that time span. This election is also pitting a candidate from the baby boomer generation to one who is at least three generations removed. It is also a test of how much sway the powerful Hudson County Democratic Organization has in choosing a candidate. An early indication based on the results of the Board of Education outcome point to the juggernaut by the candidacy in the B slot as trudging in all cylinders and may be too large of a hurdle to overcome by the A team.