Yolanda Garcia Balicki Says Her Election Is Signal That All People Want Representation
Yolanda Garcia Balicki appears at event in Millville in 2021. Photo by AC JosepH Media
BY CLYDE HUGHES | AC JosepH Media
MILLVILLE – It’s not every day when a newly elected governor makes it a priority to attend your swearing-in ceremony, but that’s exactly what Gov. Mikie Sherrill did last month to see Yolanda Garcia Balicki and running mate John Capizola officially become part of the Cumberland County Board of Commissioners.
While the win only narrowed the Republicans advantage of the board to 4-3, Balicki was part of Sherrill’s statewide Hispanic Get Out the Vote efforts. That work helped Sherrill land a whopping 68% of the Latino vote in November’s general election.
“I’m so proud of the work that we did to help get her elected,” Balicki recently told Front Runner New Jersesy.com. “We got the Latino vote out. I was on the Latino radio a lot, but also because it helps to put Cumberland County on the map for New Jersey.”
As the first Latina elected to a countywide office in Cumberland County, Balicki said her place in history has not be lost on her. Fellow commissioner, Republican Tony Romero was the first Latino elected to the Cumberland County Commissioners Board.
“I am the first Latina to be elected to the position and I’m very proud of that,” Balicki said. “My heritage is so important to me. I am bilingual, and I connect with my community, Black and Brown people as well as white people. I just love people, and I want to see our county progress and come together.”
Of Puerto Rican heritage, Balicki is a Jersey Girl, growing up in Woodbine and graduating from Vineland High School earning her bachelor’s and law degrees from Rutgers University. She worked with the New Jersey State Parole Board for 33 years before becoming a fulltime immigration attorney. She currently lives in Millville.
Balicki, a lifetime member of the Gloucester County NAACP, said while race relations have progressed over the decades, acknowledged there is plenty of work to be done in erasing generations of injustice and harm and racism’s lingering effects.
“Skin color really should not play a part in any decision-making, but all too often, we know that those are the communities are overlooked,” Balicki said. “The majority of the clients that I serve are Black and Brown from many different countries. Whether it’s Pakistan, Egypt, Morocco, Asia, or the Caribbean.
“The majority of the people that I serve are people that are from different cultures,” Balicki said. “We all come from different places, but my joy and pride is being able to speak to people to know what their needs are, listen to them and try to help them.”
Balicki first ran for the board in 2021. While unsuccessful, she never lost faith of another shot at serving the county as an elected official. In a tight election, Balicki and Capizola edged out well-known Republican candidates Douglas Albrecht and Victoria Lods.
“It is a signal of people are tired of not being properly represented by their elected officials, and especially people of color communities,” Balicki said. “Cumberland County is the poorest county in New Jersey. We were focused on speaking to them at their level, at the county level, and what their needs are. Many people just feel outraged.”
“They feel forgotten. For example, data centers are going up here and the people have no knowledge of them. They feel like they don’t have a voice.”
Balicki said she felt humbled by Sherrill coming down to witness her swearing in. She hopes that translates into more attention for Cumberland County.
“Sometimes, here in Cumberland County, we feel so forgotten from our representatives in Trenton,” Balicki said. “Sherrill came down here because she knew that we worked hard, and she made us feel like we mattered. It has been such a crucial year in our communities.
“I campaigned with [Sherrill] and it was probably the most significant experience of my life. Now, we have the second governor, female governor of the state of New Jersey, the first Democrat. I am an immigration attorney, so I see what is happening in our country, in our communities. My heart is breaking so much now. It’s very important timing right now for me, and probably the highlight of my career so far.”
Balicki was already history maker recently as the first Latina ever elected president of the Cumberland County Bar Association in its 125-year history. She is currently serving as immediate past president.
She is a member of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the State Bar Association Immigration Law Section. Balicki has also served as a trustee for the Board of Trustees for Rowan College of South Jersey and was a past member of its Hispanic Advisory Board/
Balicki said she is looking forward to her next political chapter serving the people of Cumberland County.
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