SOMA Action Blog
7 Reasons Why Freeholder Elections Matter
With 2020 primary elections fast approaching in New Jersey (July 7!), you may be wondering not only who should get your vote for Essex County’s Chosen Board of Freeholders, but also what, exactly, a freeholder is.
You’re not alone. In fact, if you’re not a native New Jerseyan, you may have never even heard of a freeholder before. As NJ Spotlight points out, the Garden State is the only state in the U.S. that still uses the term instead of the more common “county commissioner.”
That’s why SOMA Action put together this brief overview of what freeholders are and why their role is so important…
Making a Difference in LD26
SOMA Action was founded on a belief that change starts at home, but in 2019, the group took an important step--politically and geographically--toward affecting change next door. That’s when the organization handed out two of its first-ever endorsements to campaigns situated outside South Orange-Maplewood’s electoral borders. Christine Clarke and Laura Fortgang were running to unseat two GOP Assemblypersons representing New Jersey’s 26th District, an area that ends just a few miles northwest of SOMA.
Spoiler alert: Clarke and Fortgang did not win. But their campaigns exemplified the continued need for strong…