MAPLEWOOD/SOUTH ORANGE — The people have spoken, and they have elected Elizabeth Baker, Maureen Jones and Donna Smith to the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education. The three women, all of whom were new to the political scene, will each serve three-year terms on the BOE.
Baker and Jones, both of Maplewood, ran a joint campaign. Smith of South Orange ran independently.
Results remain unofficial until verified by the Essex County clerk, Christopher J. Durkin; the numbers used in this story were made available to the News-Record via the county clerk’s website and 90.91 percent of votes had been tallied by press time Tuesday night.
According to the unofficial results, Baker received 6,099 votes, Jones received 5,725 votes and Smith received 5,670 votes. According to these numbers, Baker received 31.38 percent of the votes, Jones received 29.45 percent of the votes and Smith received 29.17 percent of the votes.
The fourth candidate, Dr. Godwin Molokwu of Maplewood, received 1,882 votes as of press time; according to these numbers, Molokwu received 9.68 percent of the votes.
As of press time, 61 persons voted for write-in candidates.
Smith, an attorney specializing in customs and international trade, said winning feels “fantastic.”
“I am really excited to get to work,” Smith told the News-Record in a telephone interview Tuesday night. “It was a long campaign, but it was worth the effort.”
Smith identified finding a new superintendent as the aspect of her new position which she believes to be the most important.
“I’m excited to get involved with that process,” she said.
Baker, a labor attorney, was a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility and the implementation of effective metrics for new programs during her campaign. Jones, a speech pathologist, came out as a champion for families in the district for whom English may not be their first language.
Both Baker and Jones cited the need to improve communication in the district, both in general and by translating materials into other languages.
Neither Baker nor Jones could be reached for comment by press time.