Republican and Democratic Candidates File for 2013 Bloomfield Election

Bloomfield: meet your 2013 candidates. 

With the April 1 deadline to file for the June primary now past, two Republicans and one Democrat have filed to seek their party's nomination along with three Republican candidates for Council and six Democratic candidates.

Republicans Russell Mollica and Richard Galioto, Sr. are seeking to be nominated to run as Mayor.

Mollica owns a small-business in Bloomfield and unsuccessfully challenged Ronald Rice in the 2011 election for New Jersey Senate District 28. He has acted as a taxpayer advocate and has voiced strong opposition to Bloomfield redevelopment projects. 

Richard J. Galioto, the owner of a Bloomfield landscaping company, is a former member of the Bloomfield Council and a frequent vocal presence at municipal and school board meetings. 

Sharon Soon, Carol Humphreys and Robert Goworek are running for council at large seats. All three are veterans of local GOP politics: Soon is the Vice Chair of the Bloomfield Republican County Committee; Humphreys unsuccessfully ran for State Assembly in 2011; and Robert Goworek was the Republican candidate for Bloomfield’s 1st Ward Town Council seat in 2011. 

As Patch previously reported, Bloomfield Township Councilman-At-Large Michael Venezia is running for Mayor. Joining him on the ticket are Wartyna "Nina" Davis, Joe Lopez and Carlos Pomares. Lopez, an Essex County employee is known to Bloomfield residents for his recent stint as the president of Bloomfield's Board of Education.

Pomares, the Executive Director of the non profit Cuban Arts Fund, ran for the Democratic nomination for the at-large council seat in 2010 eventually won by Venezia. Political newcomer Davis is an assocciate dean at William Paterson University and a member of the Demerest School Home and School Association. 

Kevin Lindahl, Vice President of the Bloomfield Tenants Organization and renter advocate is running for Council at Large, as are Russell Youngblood and Chris Diguilio, a Rent Advisory Committee memberwho serves as a security site manager for Toys R Us. 

Current Mayor Raymond McCarthy did not file to seek his party's nomination. Sitting Councilwoman-At-Large Peggy O'Boyle Dunigan is not seeking reelection.