Oakland Town Council Candidates

The fall campaign season in Oakland is shaping up to be historic with 2 Democratic, 2 Republican, and 2 Independent candidates vying for 2 open town council seats. 6 candidates for 2 seats is more than most Bergen County towns can boast, and the inclusion of 2 Independent candidates puts Oakland at the forefront of a political landscape that continues to shift as voter frustration rises.

Pat Tirri and Sandra Coira will be running on the Democratic ticket, and Timothy Jensen and Karen Marcalus will be representing the Republicans. The 2 Independent candidates are Donald Burns and Charlie McCormick. New Jersey has no official designation for Independent voters, but rather categorizes the over two million registered NJ voters not aligned with a political party as unaffiliated.

Speaking on his campaign as an independent challenger, Don Burns said, “I always felt I was elected to represent the people, not a particular party or administration. I feel I can do that best as an Independent; I’ve always believed I’ve been an independent voice.”

Charlie McCormick, speaking on his decision to run as an Independent said, “My feeling is that political parties have turned into private parties, and voters are not invited to participate in any meaningful public debate. Residents need to be better informed, actively engaged and more involved in the decision making process.”

The general election campaign in Oakland, with 6 candidates debating issues that impact residents in small towns across the state of New Jersey, will undoubtedly display a smorgasbord of political choices for residents come November.

Editors Note: The Oakland Journal is published under the auspices of Cicero Designs, owned and operated by Charlie & Caron McCormick. As in the past, The Journal will provide an equitable platform for all local candidates wishing to publish content and communicate with residents via The Oakland Journal.