Photo Credit: Team Davis The fifth and final candidate to join Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis’ re-election ticket has been announced. Loyad Booker, Jr., will be running as the final member of the Team Davis Council slate in the nonpartisan Municipal election in May.
Booker is a decorated combat veteran and former Bayonne police officer, and he is running for Council at-Large with Team Davis to bridge the gap between residents and the public safety system, improve services for seniors and invest in cleaner, safer streets in Bayonne. If elected, Booker will become Bayonne’s first African-American Council member.
“Loyad Booker has already proven himself to be a selfless and dedicated public servant, and I am proud to be running alongside him on my Council slate,” said Mayor Davis. “Booker knows what it will take to keep our city safe and prioritize the wellbeing of our most vulnerable residents, like our seniors, children and others who need our help. I am confident that we will be able to work together to continue moving Bayonne forward.”
Booker is a lifelong resident of Bayonne, where he graduated from Bayonne High School before going on to attend Kean College and Jersey City State University. A decorated combat veteran, Booker was deployed overseas during Operation Desert Storm as a communication specialist, earning the Southwest Asia Service Medal and the Bronze Star. He then worked for the Bayonne Police Department for 25 years until his recent retirement, where he worked to improve community policing and crime prevention programs. Booker is an instructor at the Hudson County Public Safety Training Center, helping newly hired officers prepare for the job. He is married with three children.
“I’m running for City Council to improve public safety and quality of life here in Bayonne,” said Booker. “I have spent my life fighting for my community during my service in the Army, as well as on the police force where I have prioritized community oriented policing, and worked with young people as a school resource officer and facilitator of the DARE and Crime Prevention Programs. I have long admired Mayor Davis’ leadership as a constituent, and am looking forward to working with his Administration to deliver for our city.”
The remainder of the the Team Davis slate consists of Councilman at Large Juan Perez, Third Ward Councilman Gary LaPelusa, First Ward Councilman Neal Carroll, and community leader Jaqueline Weimmer, who is running in the Second Ward.