East Newark, New Jersey, was incorporated on July 3, 1895. It is governed under the borough form of New Jersey municipal government. The governing body consists of a mayor and a borough council comprising six council members, with all positions elected at-large on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.[1] [2] The borough form of government used by East Newark, the most common system used in the state, is a "weak mayor / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an override by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.[3] [4]
The individuals who have served as the borough's mayor are:[5] [6] Terms began January 1 and end December 31.
| Mayor | Birth and death | Term start | Term end | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edward Kenny | 1906 | Edward Kenny was the first mayor of East Newark, New Jersey.[7] | |||
| 2 | (1878-1931) | 1919 | Democratic Party politician who represented New Jersey's 8th congressional district from 1919 to 1921.[8] | |||
| 3 | Thomas Keenan | 1921 | ||||
| 4 | Patrick Henry Quirk | (1862-1935) | 1923 | He was born in 1862 in Troy, New York. He died on April 4, 1935, at the home of his daughter, in Harrison, New Jersey.[9] | ||
| 5 | Thomas Keenan | 1924 | 1925 | Second (non-consecutive) term | ||
| 6 | Thomas Walsh | 1926 | 1927 | |||
| 7 | Owen Coogan | 1928 | 1929 | |||
| 8 | John Reynolds | 1930 | 1945 | Served 16 consecutive terms. Died soon after re-election in 1945.[10] | ||
| 9 | William Seeds | 1946 | 1947 | |||
| 10 | Harry Lawson | 1948 | 1951 | |||
| 11 | Harold (Harry) Francis Lawson | (1887-1968) | 1952 | 1963 | He was born on August 4, 1887, and he married Katherine Brennen. He worked as an insurance broker and lived at 545 North Third Street and also served on the East Newark town council. He died on June 23, 1968, in West Hudson Hospital in Kearny, New Jersey, at age 80.[11] | |
| 12 | Wilbert Hotaling | 1964 | 1976 | Resigned from office in February 1976[12] | ||
| 13 | Raymond Graham Sr. | (d. 2018) | 1977 | 1987 | Known as "Cookie", served for over 10 years.[13] Originally assumed office in 1976 after being appointed.[14] | |
| 14 | Joseph R. Smith | 1987 | 2020 | Held position for 8 terms, 32 years[15] Ran unopposed in 2003, 2007, 2011, and 2015.[16] Eight years on the borough council; lost 1983 Democratic mayoral primary; became Republican in 1987 won mayoral by 61 votes, and then switched back. One of the longest-serving mayors in the United States. | ||
| 15 | Dina M. Grilo | 2020 | First woman elected as mayor in the borough.[17] |