Dover braces for mayoral rematch: Blackman, Dodd will face off again in primary

Former Dover Mayor James Dodd, who lost his bid for a fourth term in 2019, is throwing his hat back into the ring. So is incumbent Mayor Carolyn Blackman, the woman who unseated Dodd in a bitter Democratic primary race four years ago.

"The race to RESCUE DOVER IS ON!" Dodd wrote on his Facebook page after his announcement last week at ONE 11 Bar & Kitchen on Blackwell Street.

"Our town has taken change over the last three years, and it hasn’t been for the betterment of our community, residents or businesses," Dodd said in his announcement. "Over 50 employees have lost their jobs, businesses have been targeted, crime is on the rise, quality of life has deteriorated as we know it. Property taxes and water bills are skyrocketing, stacking and overcrowding is running rampant and overall, we are all suffering from it."

Blackman, who previously had not disclosed if she would run again, reacted in an interview on Monday by saying, "After hearing that, I think I am going to run."

"Let me ask this: Who wants him back?" she told the Daily Record. "Don't believe everything that the previous administration says. He tries to create a narrative so people will believe everything he states is the truth. Wrong."

A tight election

Dodd lost a close campaign to Blackman in 2019 after the Morris County Democratic Committee endorsed a "Dover First" slate of candidates that had opposed Dodd's supporters on the town Board of Aldermen the prior year.

After losing the primary to Blackman, Dodd ran as an independent against her in the November general election and lost by 50 votes. Blackman became Dover's first female mayor and the first Black woman to lead the town.

Since then, conflicts within Dover First led to a new Democratic faction in town, Dover Forward. The Morris County Democratic Committee, which backed Dover Forward in 2019, also publicly broke ranks with one member of Dover First, Third Ward Alderman Ed Correa, saying he "has lost the support of the movement he helped build."

Dodd's announcement means he and Blackman will likely face each other for a third time in the June 6 Democratic primary. Candidates must file petitions to participate in the primary by March 27.

Elections in Dover, one of Morris County's few solidly Democratic towns, are typically decided by the party primary. Support from the county Democratic Committee is usually a significant factor in the race.

Correa also has been rumored as a possible mayoral candidate in 2023.

"This town is in a stalemate because no one from Dover First or Dover Forward has the courage to make difficult decisions and we the taxpayers suffer from it," said Dodd, who was first elected to the mayor's office in 2007.

Dodd's ticket

Dodd's ticket in the June Democratic primary includes current Fourth Ward Alderman Arturo Santana; Claudia Toro, owner of the First Ward business Toro Taxes; Sergio Rodrigues in Ward 2; and Jhon Londono in Ward 3.

Dodd touted his accomplishments in office, including the $57 million Meridia development, a veteran's housing project on Thompson Avenue, a new hotel and a Cube Smart storage facility, among other new businesses.

A lifelong Dover resident, Dodd owns JD Automotive & Truck in town. He criticized Blackman for replacing most of his administrative staff, which he said cost the town vital "institutional experience."

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"What they did, in essence, is they laid a lot of employees off and they hired consultants," Dodd said. "Our building department is in shambles. We don't have a plumbing inspector. The town, quite honestly, is up and down."

Blackman said some former staff were encouraged by Dodd to "file lawsuits and not work for the new administration."

"When I took office, there was no [cooperative] transition from the previous administration," she said. "We did have a lot of challenges, but we took them head-on and moved ahead."

Blackman listed guiding the town through the COVID pandemic as one of her chief accomplishments. She also noted that officials cut Board of Alderman salaries in half after she took office, and also slashed the mayor's salary from $60,000 to $30,000, fulfilling one of her campaign promises. Dodd's administration was criticized for allowing salaries to rise far above the average for municipal officials in New Jersey.

Harsh rhetoric

The harsh rhetoric that marked the two candidates' previous clashes has returned already.

"We are under attack by politicians who lie, cheat and steal," Dodd said in his announcement. "But the resolve of my team will never be stronger. Our sense of community has never been more divided than it is today. It's time to put petty politics aside and do what is right for our community ... not politicians, professionals, or consultants."

Blackman said Dodd "makes promises and never keeps them."

"He loves to put doubt in the residents' minds," she said. "We can see right through his lies. Don't fall into the trap."

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com 

Twitter: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: Dover NJ mayor's race: Dodd challenges Blackman in Dem primary