NJ Primaries: Small Wins in Atlantic City, Carstarphen in Camden
Mayor Marty Small. Photo courtesy of Marty Small campaign.
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
ATLANTIC CITY – Black mayors in the two of South Jersey’s most prominent cities—Atlantic City and Camden—won their Democratic primaries on Tuesday while Newark Mayor Ras Baraka came in second in the NJ gubernatorial race, losing a chance to become the state’s first Black governor.
Incumbent Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr., faces minimal competition in the general election, and Camden Mayor Victor Carstarphen, currently does not have a November opponent, essentially assuring their return to office.
Baraka won 20.4% of the vote, second behind U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, who captured 34% of the vote. Sherrill will not face Republican Jack Ciaterelli in November to replace two-term Demcratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
“This isn’t the end,” Baraka said in a statement on Facebook on Wednesday. “New Jersey is about to experience a new day. This race was run by working class people. Everyday people are getting on board with the idea that a fairer, more equitable New Jersey is possible and it’s what we deserve.”
Small, who faces charges in Atlantic County along with his wife related to his teenage daughter and unrelated to his job as mayor, captured 2,683 votes in Tuesday’s primary, while former union leader Bob McDevitt received 1,580, according to a temporary count by NJ.com.
Small’s at-large candidates—Stephanie Marshall, Patricia Bailey, and newcomer Mohammed Suhel Ahmed—were the top three vote-getters in that race.
In Camden, Carstarphen easily turned back a challenge from Theo Spencer by more than 2,000 votes. His council team—President Angel Fuentes, Nohemi Soria-Perez and newcomer Nurah Z. Muhammad—all won positions against opponents in at-large voting.
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