Democrats win big in Camden County

Camden City and Gloucester Township will have new Democratic mayors, and Cherry Hill's Township Council will remain Republican-free, after an overwhelmingly victorious Election Day for Camden County Democrats.

Dana Redd, a 41-year-old state senator, city councilwoman, and darling of the Democratic political establishment, stampeded past three independent challengers to succeed Camden Mayor Gwendolyn Faison, who is retiring.

"Change is coming to Camden, and I'm looking forward to uniting all of our communities in moving our city forward," said Redd, who will resign her Senate seat after being sworn in. "People are tired of politics as usual. They want to see us working together. And that's one of my strong suits."

The three independent candidates - educator and activist Angel Cordero, former state official Mujiba Salaam Parker, and former city director Roberto Feliz - lacked the money and infrastructure of Redd's campaign.

Redd's running mates for three City Council spots - Councilman Gilbert "Whip" Wilson, Councilman Curtis Jenkins, and newcomer Marilyn Torres - also cruised to victory. Torres will take Redd's seat.

Redd will have the good fortune of enjoying full support from City Council, all of whom are Democrats, but as of now Camden is still under state control. A chief operating officer, appointed by the governor, runs the city, and neither the mayor nor Council members have any real power.

Redd, vice chair of the Democratic State Committee, said she would lobby the lame-duck state Legislature to review the Camden takeover. She said she envisioned that the Legislature would "redefine" the role of the chief operating officer, returning all powers to the mayor's office.

Elsewhere in Camden County, perhaps the most hotly contested race was in Gloucester Township, where former Assemblyman David Mayer - with help from an unusually large $100,000 war chest - defeated incumbent Mayor Cindy Rau-Hatton, a first-term Republican.

As the mayor of the third-largest municipality in Camden County, Rau-Hatton was the county's most prominent Republican, and Democrats targeted the town.

A move shortly after Rau-Hatton was elected to switch from nonpartisan to partisan elections appears to have paid off for Democrats.

Mayer's Township Council running mates, Councilmen Dan Hutchison and Frank Schmidt and newcomer Michelle Gentek, defeated Rau-Hatton's slate.

In Cherry Hill, Republicans put up a vigorous fight, but Democrats continued their 15-year streak of keeping the GOP off the Township Council.

Democratic Councilman David Fleisher, the lone incumbent on the ballot, won reelection; also elected were community activist Susan Shin Angulo, firefighter Jim Bannar, and teacher Jacquelene Silver.

As expected, Democrats will continue to hold every seat on the Camden County Board of Chosen Freeholders. Republicans Carl Canfield, Anthony Casa, and Nick Kush barely campaigned.

They lacked a Web site, and two of them didn't participate in media interviews.

Freeholders Jeffrey Nash, Rodney Greco, and Ian Leonard will return to the board. Of those, Leonard, chief of staff to outgoing Assembly Speaker Joseph J. Roberts Jr., is the newest name after being appointed in June to replace Joseph Ripa, who was tapped as county clerk.

Ripa won his election for clerk yesterday against Republican Scott A. Moran. And Democratic Sheriff Chuck Billingham beat Republican Daniel J. MacDonnell.