It's déjà vu as Oakland mayor will again be challenged by councilman in November
OAKLAND — It will be déjà vu all over again this fall when Mayor Linda Schwager and Councilman Eric Kulmala run against each other for the borough's leadership seat.
Last Tuesday's primary signaled the launch of the fall campaign season, challenging voters to decide whether to reelect Schwager, a Democrat, to an unprecedented fourth four-year term or elect Kulmala, a Republican, to match the current all-GOP Borough Council.
Oakland primary mayoral votes:
351 votes for Eric Kulmala (R)
317 votes for Linda Schwager (D)
Oakland primary council votes:
363 votes for Pasquale Pignatelli (R)
342 votes for Russell Talamini (R)
311 votes for Andrea Levy (D)
305 votes for John Biale (D)
In a municipality where the wording of a sign to be posted at the Bush Plaza renovation was briefly challenged in April lest it gives Schwager disproportionate publicity, the balance of government is of continual interest to residents.
Schwager was first elected to the Borough Council as a Republican in 1990 and won two more terms before she was defeated in 1999 by Biale, her council running mate this fall. She lost her first bid for mayor as a Democrat in 2007 but won in 2011. She defeated Kulmala for a third term in 2019 by a vote of 1,838 to 1,718.
Kulmala was elected to the council in 2013 and served a second term in 2016 before losing to Schwager in 2019. He was reappointed to the council in September 2020 to fill the unexpired term of Lew Levy. He has served with the Oakland Volunteer Fire Department since 1984.
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Cannabis has been one of the primary issues facing the Borough Council in the past 18 months. The council approved three ordinances establishing five categories of non-retail business in December 2021. However, it balked when confronted with its first application from Kusala Care Cannabis in August 2022.
Kulmala characterized the state's approach to marijuana regulation as "building the plane while they're trying to fly it," during a February debate on whether the borough should withdraw its ordinances. At the same meeting, Schwager called the ordinances a financial "win-win" for the borough.
The council finally approved the Kusala application in April, although Kulmala was absent for the vote. Council members subsequently debated whether the question of allowing cannabis operations should be put to voters in a referendum.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Oakland NJ councilman to challenge mayor again in November
