Democratic County Committee Members to Meet to Fill Freeholder Vacancy

Last week, Hudson County Freeholder Tilo Rivas of Union City, a Democrat, resigned from his 6th District seat, creating a vacancy on the Board of Chosen Freeholders.  Rivas was required to resign from the seat, having won election in November to become the new Hudson County Surrogate.

Tonight, Democratic County Committee members from Union City will hold a special  election convention to choose a new Freeholder to complete Rivas’ unexpired term.  Union City spokeswoman Erin Knoedler told Hudson TV this afternoon that the committee meeting is closed to the press, but NewJerseyGlobe.com is reporting that Fanny Cedeno is Mayor Brian Stack’s choice to succeed Rivas.

The website is also reporting that Marco Navarro, an emergency medical technician for the Union City Police Department who has also worked as an EMT in North Bergen and for several area hospitals, plans to challenge Cedeno for the Democratic nomination for Freeholder.  However, Navarro reportedly will not challenge Cedeno during tonight’s committee meeting.

Navarro, who served in the United States Marine Corps from 2008 through 2016, has been a confidential aide to Mayor Stack since 2015; a part-time aide in Stack’s  33rd District Senate office; and as an aide in Rivas’ Freeholder office.