Williams, Toliver, Taylor Win in Primary

Plainfield's political folk wisdom holds that in this heavily Democratic city, winning the June primary is tantamount to winning the November general election. If so, the balance of New Democrats versus Regular Democrats on the City Council will remain the same, with the party led by Chairman Jerry Green having the majority.

New Democrat incumbent Rebecca Williams beat Charles Eke, who had the party line for the Second & Third Ward at-large seat. With 7,694 registered Democrats in the two wards, Williams received 1,148 votes and Eke garnered 1,016. Two and a half hours after the polls closed, Union County's new online tally still showed one district outstanding, but the Plainfield city clerk's office gave the unofficial results as noted.

Political newcomer Diane Toliver won in the First Ward Democratic contest with 507 votes to 203 for Emmett Swan, a New Democrat also making his first bid for public office. Retired Police Captain Siddeeq El-Amin received 87 votes. The First Ward seat is currently held by William Reid, who announced earlier this year he was not seeking re-election. There are 3,051 registered Democrats in the First Ward, meaning the contest only brought out one-fourth of eligible voters.

In the Third Ward, appointee Gloria Taylor ran on the party line and overcame New Democrat Charles McRae, 568 to 514. Rasheed Abdul-Haqq trailed with 34 votes. Taylor was appointed to the unexpired term of Adrian O. Mapp, who won the mayoralty in November 2013 and took office on Jan. 1 for a four-year term. The turnout was 28 percent of the Third Ward's 3,822 registered Democrats.

As widely reported, Mapp won on the line last year and got words of support from Green, Taylor and others in January, but then Green turned on him in a mailer, saying he only put Mapp on the line under duress from former Union County Democratic Chairman Charlotte DeFilippo. Green is now county chairman in addition to being Plainfield's party leader and also serves as District 22 assemblyman. Mapp was formerly president of the New Democrats political club, a title now held by Williams.

The winning Democrats will face any independents that filed Tuesday, as well as Republicans in two races. Randy Bullock is the GOP contender against Williams and Charles A. Jones will be on the Republican line for the Third Ward in November.

Mapp is only six months into a four-year term and unless he can pick up support in coming years, his goal of re-branding the city and capitalizing on its new designation as a transit village may be a tough road to hoe. A Regular Democrat council majority cut two of his key staff positions out of the 2014 budget last month. To get things done in Plainfield, the adage goes, you must be able to "count to four" on the seven-member council.

--Bernice

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