Hudson County, N.J. paid more than $75,000 for 2024 election mailers carrying Craig Guy's name and photo, records show

By Julio Reynoso

First reported by Hudson TV

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — Hudson County paid $75,485.42 for four pieces of 2024 election mail that carried County Executive Craig Guy’s name, two of them with his photo, according to invoices, purchase orders and mailer proofs Hudson TV obtained from the County Clerk’s office through an Open Public Records Act request.

The pieces were part of a vote-by-mail and voter-education program the Clerk’s office runs through a no-bid contract with Frontier Strategy Group, LLC. Across the 2024 primary, special and general elections, the county paid Frontier $222,797.40 for 11 mailings totaling 555,828 pieces. The four that named Guy accounted for 215,964 of those pieces. The invoices say the amounts do not include postage.

Neither Guy nor County Clerk E. Junior Maldonado was on the ballot in 2024. Guy was elected in November 2023, and his term runs through Dec. 31, 2027, according to the county’s website. Maldonado’s term also runs through Dec. 31, 2027, according to the Clerk’s office. The mailers urged residents of any party to vote and did not ask anyone to vote for a candidate. Hudson TV found no New Jersey law that bars an official’s name or photo from county election mail.

The four pieces

• April 2024 letter (99,836 pieces, $34,030.69). Headed “A message from Hudson County Executive Craig Guy and County Clerk E. Junior Maldonado,” the bilingual letter begins, “My name is Craig Guy, and I am honored to have been elected this past November as your Hudson County Executive.” It explains voting by mail and early voting for the June 4 primary, says “you will be receiving more pieces of mail from our office,” and lists the County Executive’s office phone number alongside the Clerk’s. Both men signed it.
• June 2024 special election notice (13,080 pieces, $7,250). After the death of Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., this postcard about the 10th Congressional District special elections was billed as an “Official notice from the Hudson County Clerk’s Office and County Executive Craig Guy.”
• Fall 2024 early-voting card (83,328 pieces, $20,003.12). The card for the Oct. 26–Nov. 3 early-voting period shows Guy’s photo with “Craig Guy, Hudson County Executive” on both the English and Spanish sides.
• Fall 2024 ballot reminder (19,720 pieces, $14,201.61). Sent to voters whose mail ballots had not come back as of Oct. 25, 2024, it reads “Official notice from Hudson County Executive Craig Guy,” with his photo.

All 11 of the 2024 pieces, including the four that name Guy, list Maldonado as the sender in the return address. None of the 11 mailings Frontier produced for the 2023 primary and general elections, the year Guy ran for County Executive, mentions Guy.

Postage is not included in these figures. In its 2024 proposal, Frontier estimated postage at $118,410.60 on top of $233,523.30 in production costs. The production estimate equals the contract’s maximum. The records released do not show what the county paid for postage.

A Clerk’s contract, ordered under the County Executive

The Board of County Commissioners approved the 2024 contract, Resolution 238-4-2024, on April 25, 2024, for April 1, 2024, through March 31, 2025, with a cap of $233,523.30. It was awarded without public bidding under a state law exception for “goods and services necessary or required to prepare and conduct an election.” The resolution lists the Clerk’s office as the department and a Clerk’s account as the funding source. In June 2024, the board amended the contract to cover “election related activity for any election conducted during the term,” at no added cost. The 2023 contract, approved March 9, 2023, was for up to $300,000.

Frontier’s invoices are addressed to Maldonado. But the three county purchase orders that paid them, dated February and December 2024, list “County Executive” as the department and give “County Executive Office, 583 Newark Avenue” as the ship-to address. Hudson TV asked the County Executive’s office why. Its answer is below.

Who owns Frontier

Frontier Strategy Group, LLC, of Green Brook, is not the international consulting firm with a similar name. In disclosure forms filed with the county in April 2024, it listed two owners: Nicholas H. Fixmer and Edward T. Oatman. Both are partners in Parktowne Associates, a campaign firm whose website says it has spent more than 10 years “orchestrating Democratic victories” and offers “direct mail and voter targeting.” Oatman has been Union County’s county manager since 2018, according to Union County’s website. Rutgers University lists Fixmer, a member of its Board of Governors, as co-founder and partner of Parktowne Associates.

Seven of the 24 proof files the Clerk released have “Parktowne” in their names, including one from 2024. The 2024 contract says Frontier “has not secured the services of any other firm as subcontractor.” Hudson TV asked the Clerk’s office what role, if any, Parktowne had.

The company’s contribution disclosure for the 2024 contract lists $2,050 in political donations by the two owners in 2023, all to committees outside Hudson County. As required for no-bid contracts, the company certified that it had not made and would not make contributions that would bar the award, including to the election funds of Guy and Maldonado.

Frontier’s 2024 proposal said the program “doubled the return rate of vote by mail ballots,” from 20% of ballots returned in the 2022 primary to 40% in the 2023 primary. Hudson TV has not independently verified that figure.

Now, a newsletter contract for the County Executive

On Oct. 23, 2025, commissioners approved a separate $69,300 contract with Frontier, listed on the agenda under “County Executive,” for “Consulting Services for the Development of Educational Newsletters and other Mailings on behalf of the County of Hudson.” Unlike the Clerk’s contracts, it was awarded through a fair and open competitive process (RFP 279-2025).

The Clerk’s office told Hudson TV it does not hold the records for that contract. On Oct. 21, Hudson TV filed a new request with the County Executive’s office (R007741-102126) for the contract, the RFP, the proposals and their evaluation. The county’s response is due by about Oct. 30.

What the rules say

The state Election Law Enforcement Commission’s so-called 90-day rule, N.J.A.C. 19:25-10.10, can make a government communication reportable as campaign activity when it goes out within 90 days of an election in which the official is a candidate, discusses the official’s achievements or objectives, and is produced with the official’s cooperation. ELEC said in October 2026 guidance that the rule is not a ban, and that including an official’s name or photo “does not automatically” make a communication political. Because neither Guy nor Maldonado was a candidate in 2024, the rule would not apply to these mailings on its face.

What the county said

On Wednesday, Oct. 21, at about 1:11 p.m., Hudson TV emailed the County Executive’s office and the County Clerk’s office with these findings. We asked who decided to put Guy’s name and photo on the 2024 mail and whether his office requested, wrote or approved the pieces, why the 2024 mail featured Guy when the 2023 mail did not, why the purchase orders list the County Executive as the department, what the county paid for postage and from which account, what role Parktowne played, whether Guy knew of the owners’ Parktowne and Union County roles, and whether the newsletters under the $69,300 contract will feature the County Executive or go out within 90 days of a 2027 election. We asked for answers by 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23.

Mark Cygan, communications director for the County Executive’s office, answered the office’s four questions in writing on Friday afternoon. Asked whether Guy or his staff requested, wrote or approved the four pieces, and who wrote the letter that begins “My name is Craig Guy,” Cygan replied: “The vendor that received the legally approved contract.”

On the purchase orders, Cygan said they were issued against a budget account called Advertisements and Announcements, which falls under the County Executive’s Office in the county’s organizational structure. “This is a centralized County account and its use is not limited to only the County Executive’s Office,” he wrote. “Other County offices and departments can use this account to fund countywide notifications and announcements. The contract was initiated by the County Clerk’s Office but funding was certified as coming from the Advertisements and Announcements budget account.” The 2024 contract resolution lists a Clerk’s account as the funding source.

On the $69,300 newsletter contract, Cygan wrote: “The County utilized the competitive contracting process to procure these services. Frontier received the highest average score out of the proposals that were submitted and they were recommended for award by the Board of Commissioners.” He did not address whether the newsletters will feature Guy or whether any will be mailed within 90 days of the 2027 primary or general election.

Asked whether Guy knew that Frontier’s owners are partners in Parktowne Associates and that one of them is Union County’s manager, Cygan wrote: “The County Executive is not involved in the procurement process, so this question is not applicable.”

The County Clerk’s office, which was asked separately about who decided to feature Guy, the change from 2023, postage and Parktowne’s role, acknowledged the questions but did not answer them by the 5 p.m. Friday deadline.

Hudson TV will add the Clerk’s office’s response if it receives one.

What’s next

• About Oct. 30: the county’s response to R007741-102126 on the $69,300 newsletter contract is due. Hudson TV will report what the records show.
• 2027: the County Executive and County Clerk terms both end Dec. 31, 2027.

Hudson TV asks: Should county-paid election mail carry only the name of the office that runs elections, or is it fine for other officials to appear on it? Share your take in the comments.

Want to know if you’re overpaying on property taxes in Hudson County? Check your address at gardenstate.ai/property-tax

Got a tip? Email info@hudsontv.com or text 862-417-6695.

Image: a fall 2024 vote-by-mail reminder paid for by Hudson County. Hudson County records via OPRA.