Caldwell Council Election Update: Dems Score Narrow Victory In 2023

CALDWELL, NJ — In the words of late Essex County resident Yogi Berra, “It ain't over 'til it's over.”

A neck-and-neck race for Caldwell Borough Council has taken another twist, with the Democratic Party candidates – Kenneth Jurgensen and Vivian Rodeffer – emerging victorious over their Republican peers, Matthew Giermanski and Nicholas Correale.

After Election Day, the unofficial results showed Giermanski and Correale with slender leads. But after counting provisional ballots and late mail-in votes, Jurgensen and Rodeffer eventually came out on top.

No request for a recount was filed by the Nov. 25 deadline.

Here are the final, certified results, according to the Essex County Clerk’s Office:

• Nicholas Correale – 918 votes (24.66 %)
• Matthew Giermanski – 924 votes (24.82 %)
• Vivian Rodeffer – 928 votes (24.93 %)
• Kenneth Jurgensen – 953 votes (25.60 %)

Here’s how those votes broke down, according to the clerk’s office:

According to a social media post from Jurgensen after Election Day, this year’s council race in Caldwell shows why it’s important to let the vote-counting process play out.

Jurgensen wrote:

“Yesterday was quite exciting, and at the end of the day Viv and I were in 3rd and 4th place. BUT because the vote was SO CLOSE we couldn't concede and here's why: During the next few days provisional ballots and late mail in ballots (we did really really well with Mail In Ballots) etc. will be counted. Those votes COULD push us into 1st and or 2nd place or they might just get us closer. We're just going to have to wait & see.”

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