State Sen. Nicholas Scutari is touting the endorsements of 31 Democratic women in his campaign for Union County Democratic Chairman. He will face off next month against Colleen Mahr, the acting chair, in a special election to fill the remaining sixteen months of Jerry Green’s term.
One staunch supporter is Linden Councilwoman Rashonna Cosby, who is challenging incumbent Derek Armstead in the Democratic mayoral primary this spring. Armstead endorsed Mahr and says he will be a candidate for vice chair if Mahr wins.
“When I stepped forward to challenge an obviously unqualified man in the Democratic Primary for Mayor of Linden, I knew it was going to be hard. Every step of the way, Nick was with me. And when I was challenged in the primary for my council seat in 2016, Nick again stepped up and defended me. Since he fought for me, I’m proud to stand with him. He’ll be a great county chairman,” Cosby said.
Berkeley Heights Councilwoman Susan Poage said that Scutari believes Democrats need to invest resources in winning municipal elections in western Union County.
“We need to invest in our suburban candidates and parties if we’re going to be successful. As a first time candidate in a town previously dominated by Republicans, I wasn’t sure how much support we’d get,” Poage said. “Nick Scutari came across the county and invested in me and my local party when few others did. He’s an experienced and thoughtful legislator who can deliver a lot for our county and our Democratic party. I’m proud to support him as Chairman.”
He also had the backing an unsuccessful candidates for local office, Luisa Blanco, who ran in Scotch Plains.
“As a woman who ran twice for public office, I know how important it is to have support from the leadership around me,” said Blanco. “Nick didn’t just support my campaign financially, he invested his own personal time in my campaign and my team. There are so many reasons I believe he’s the most qualified candidate for county chair, but what stands out for me the most is that he was there to support me.”