Gregory, Charlyn Martin Score Historic Political Wins in Carneys Point
AC JosepH Media
/CARNEYS POINT – While most of the attention during November’s general election race, the husband-wife team of Gregory and Charlyn Martin pulled off one of the biggest “small town” upsets in New Jersey on Tuesday, winning seats in the Carneys Point Township Committee.
Charlyn Martin, a former Penns Grove councilwoman, and Gregory Martin, a truck driver and community activists, edged out incumbents Wayne Pelura and Michelle Shaw by 138 votes.
“My husband and I decided from the very start to not run a negative campaign,” Charlyn Martin said in a statement. “After not winning the 2024 election for the Salem County Clerk, I knew that it would be in the best interest of the residents to know the things we faced and empower our community to seek government positions to make the changes we need.
“The same voices should not be the ones making the decision for everyone else. There was a need to change leadership, and the community agreed. I asked my husband to join me in the fight to take back our community and he did.
The win by the Martins gives Blacks three of the five seats on the committee. Almeda Johnson was already serving on the board. The new board, once seated, will elect a new mayor and vice mayor.
Running as Democrats, Gregory Martin received 1,269 votes in the election and Charlyn Martin 1,247. Pelura scored 1,212 votes and Michelle Shaw 1,166.
Gregory Martin said he was surprised how negative the campaigning against he and his wife turned as the election marched closer.
“I cannot believe that fake social media accounts were created just to deter people from
voting for us,” Gregory Martin said. “They tried everything and defamed our names, posted about me playing loud music, brought up edited videos about me but the people spoke. God is good and this was a historic win.
“We ran our campaign clean and free from being negative. Never in Carneys Point history has a husband-and-wife team won council seats in an election and let alone people of color. It is not a conflict of interest and only the interest of the people matters.”
Note from AC JosepH Media: If you like this story and others posted on Front Runner New Jersey.com, lend us a hand so we can keep producing articles like these for New Jersey and the world to see. Click on SUPPORT FRNJ and make a contribution that will go directly in making more stories like this available. Thank you for reading!
About Author
