By Allison Perrine
RED BANK – A Democratic newcomer who announced his candidacy for borough council in February withdrew from the race last Friday.
LeRoi Jones, who was set to run in the upcoming primary election alongside fellow Democrat Bruce Maida, is no longer seeking a seat on the borough council. In a letter to borough party chair Ed Zipprich, Jones “expressed regret for his decision to leave the race” but voiced support for 20-year borough resident Jacqueline M. Sturdivant. Sturdivant and Maida are now both backed by the Red Bank Democratic Organization.
The two will face off against fellow Democrats Hazim Yassin and Kate Triggiano, incumbent council members seeking reelection to the dais. All four individuals will run in the June 8 primary election as Monmouth County Democrats.
According to a press release, Sturdivant has secured support from 15 of the 18 Red Bank Democratic Municipal Committee members. She has previous leadership experience as a global corporate strategy and leadership development executive. The release lists her strengths in team development, strategic planning and management, which should complement Maida, a current zoning board member and retired project manager and principal engineer for National Grid.
“My goals are to protect Red Bank’s quality of life, open spaces, existing assets and our ‘hippest town in NJ’ reputation,” Sturdivant said in the release.
Triggiano and Yassin are two first-term council members in their early 30s who have spent the majority of their initial terms serving during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Among their accomplishments are several environmental policies, the popular Broadwalk to support businesses, the first volunteer translator program in the state and the first Red Bank Pride event.
This article originally appeared in the April 1 – 7, 2021, print edition of The Two River Times.
