Summit NJ Primary Election Results
SUMMIT, NJ — Voting in the primary elections in Summit, NJ has ended, with two Democrats and two Republicans running unopposed for the nominations for two open seats on the Summit Common Council. Thus, all four will face off in November. They may also face Independent candidates.
The two Democratic council candidates are incumbents.
Summit Common Council results will be updated here when they are received.
1st Ward
Susan Hairston (D)
Eileen Kelly (R)
2nd Ward
Marjorie Fox (D)
Kirsten McCumber (R)
As mandated by State of New Jersey Executive Order 144, vote-by-mail ballots for the Tuesday, July 7 primary election were automatically mailed to all registered Democratic and Republican Party voters. Unaffiliated and inactive voters were to receive an application to vote-by-mail. Final numbers may not be available until next week.
For more information on voting, please contact the Summit Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@cityofsummit.org or call 908- 273-6400 or visit the Union County Board of Elections website.
Here are election profiles submitted to Patch by the candidates.
Election profiles
Ward 1 Council
Susan D. Hairston, Democrat (incumbent Ward 1 councilwoman)
Age: 59
Family:
Husband: Jerome Hairston; Daughters: Xena,35, Simone, 28, Erika, 24 Son: Jayson, 34
Education:
MPA in Nonprofit Management, Seton Hall University; BA, Business Administration, University of Pittsburgh
Occupation:
24 Years in strategy and operations management for the nonprofit sector. Currently: Business Owner (CEO of consulting group that strengthens nonprofit operations); Prior to 2020: Ford Foundation — my 19-year career culminated as Director of Grants Management (1997 - 2016); JPB Foundation, Director of Grants Management (2017-2019)
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:
Current: Ward 1 Council Member, Summit, NJ. Previous: Commissioner, Union County Tax Board; Summit Board of Education - President, VP, and Member
Campaign website:
Why are you seeking elected office?
Municipal government is where the “rubber hits the road,” where tangible decision making and implementation of federal, state and county policies takes place. In times like these, where we are dealing with a global pandemic, economic uncertainty, national unrest of unprecedented levels, I want to make sure our decisions serve the public good for all residents, businesses and employees in Summit. Five generations of my family have lived, worked and volunteered here.
What is the most pressing issue facing the community? What will you do about it?
In the current avalanche of uncertainty — about our public health and safety, our economic well being, even our social institutions — we must respond to urgent issues while also maintaining a long-term view in our decisions.
For example, while we’re focused on the safety of our residents during the pandemic, we need to use this period as an opportunity to consider the overall health of our community and its residents. While we assist our businesses in weathering the current storm, let’s look for opportunities to enhance our town’s environment for both small and larger businesses. There are two risks in our current environment: one is that we become habitually reactive in our decision-making, instead of strategic and planful; the other is that we miss opportunities that any crisis opens to improve what we have for the future.
As chair of Summit’s Safety & Health Committee, I continually press for both short-term solutions and long-term opportunities in our meetings and discussions. I involve others, including the public, in decisions that will have long-term consequences for any constituent group. I take a collaborative, cross-functional approach when considering change. All of these actions and ways of working will continue if I’m privileged to serve a second (and full) term as council member.
Ward 1 Council
Eileen Kelly, Republican
Age: 34
Family:
Husband, Matthew Sloane
Education:
Bachelors - International Relations and Affairs from Colgate University
Occupation:
Director of Finance & Integration at Refinitiv
12+ years of professional experience in financial, strategic, operational, and technology roles
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:
None
Campaign website
Why are you seeking elected office?
I am running to give back to all of those who have worked so hard to make Summit such a wonderful place to live. I know and recognize that Summit is a unique and special place. I want to maintain and improve the quality of life for our current and future residents. I have the experience and the drive to bring a fresh perspective and make a difference in our local government--a new perspective that can help our local government grow with the times.
After all, Summit is changing. That change is evident in the challenges our small businesses are facing coming through and out of COVID-19, Common Council’s ambitious plans for redeveloping our downtown, and shifting demographics including a lot of fresh faces like mine. I want to help our community embrace the change, manage it well, and respect what has made our town the place we've all come to love and call home.
What is the most pressing issue facing the community? What will you do about it?
Affordability is the most pressing issue facing our community. I intend to use my financial background to propose innovative ideas that can help our small businesses navigate these uncertain times while carefully scrutinizing county, municipal, and school budgets so together we can lessen the property tax burden on Summit families. This will in turn improve the quality of life for our residents and future generations while driving commerce and boosting our local economy.
Ward 2, Summit Common Council
Marjorie Fox (incumbent council president), Democrat
Age:
54
Family:
Jeffrey Naiman, husband; David Naiman, 21, Summit High School Class of 2017, New York University Class of 2021; Daniel Naiman, 17, Summit High School Class of 2021
Education
Yale University, B.S. Environmental Biology, Magna Cum Laude; Columbia University School of Law, J.D., Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
Occupation
Retired Attorney, 10 years of experience
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office
Summit Common Council, Ward 2, January 2018-present; Council President, January 2020-present
Campaign website
foxforsummit.com
Why are you seeking elected office?
I am running for re-election because I have the experience to execute the plans that Council has put in motion to promote fiscal responsibility, government transparency, public safety, economic development, and sustainability. My past professional experience as an attorney and 20 years of volunteering in our community make me qualified to guide Summit through an extremely challenging time while preserving what is special about our city.
What is the most pressing issue facing the community? What will you do about it?
The current health crisis and the attendant challenges are the most pressing issue facing our community right now. I intend to continue what my Council colleagues and I have been doing for the past three months – ensuring that the City continues to provide the essential services that our residents depend on, while protecting public health and supporting the economic viability of our businesses. As Council President, I have been involved in decisions about how City services are delivered, how we continue to govern through remote meetings, and how we manage the reopening responsibly. I am responsible for working with City staff and coordinating the efforts of my Council colleagues to ensure that other City priorities continue to be addressed throughout this health crisis. We have had to be nimble to react to changing conditions, implementing new measures as we receive guidance from the Governor’s Office. As a member of the Council Finance Committee, I have been involved in developing the municipal budget, which was extensively amended to reflect the adjustments made to revenue and appropriations in response to conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Council delivered a lean budget, with a 0.14% increase over the previous year. Summit remains the only municipality in New Jersey with an AAA rating from all three major credit-rating agencies.
I have also worked on Council’s ad hoc reopening committee to develop measures to assist businesses as they begin to reopen. We began meeting with Summit Downtown Inc. and countless businesses in April to develop measures that would be helpful to Summit businesses. We also researched what other communities throughout the country were doing. I was instrumental in crafting six measures that were passed at the June 9 Council meeting to provide for expanded outdoor dining on sidewalks, parklets, and City parking lots; sidewalk sales; and outdoor group fitness classes in City parks. Further measures were adopted at the June 23 meeting to close portions of Maple Street for outdoor dining for the summer and to approve sidewalk cafes. Council will continue to work closely with Summit businesses to accommodate their needs as they reopen and will continue to look at ways we can deliver municipal services safely and efficiently.
Ward 2, Summit Common Council
Kirsten McCumber, Republican
Age: 53
Family:
Husband: Chris McCumber; Daughter: Carlie McCumber, 24; Daughter: Polly McCumber, 21Education:
Bachelor’s Degree in English, Lehigh University ‘89
Occupation:
Reporter for Money Magazine (2 years); Reporter for Entertainment Weekly Magazine (2 years); At-Home Parent (20 years); Volunteer Patient advocate (5 years)
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office:
None
Campaign website
www.kirstenmccumberforcouncil....
Why are you seeking elected office?
I am running for Common Council because I have loved raising my family in Summit and I would like to offer my time and my positive energy towards serving our small city as it navigates the uncertain future.
Covid brought unexpected challenges to our local businesses and our residents employed in the service industry, in particular. Local government will have little margin for error as they shepherd the economic recovery and deploy maximum fiscal responsibility needed to steer Summit back towards health and prosperity. I will bring new ideas and a fresh pair of eyes to the table.
What is the most pressing issue facing the community? What will you do about it?
The single most pressing issue facing Summit is economic recovery. Re-starting the engine of our shops, restaurants, sole proprietorships, and our incredible service industry will bring affected residents off of unemployment and restore financial health back to our community. During the shutdown, I devoted myself to small business advocacy and conducted dozens of interviews with local shop owners in order to highlight their unique issues. Publicizing these hardships on my campaign social media pages helped bring awareness to these important problems and, if elected, I will be absolutely relentless in advocating for Summit's small businesses.
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This article originally appeared on the Summit Patch
