CaldwellNot a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Caldwell Mayor & Borough Council Election 2026

2 of 6 council seats are on the ballot, with 6 candidates running. Updated Oct 20, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check

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Nov 3Election Day

How to vote · 11 days left

Find where to voteCheck your registration
Early in-person voting (Oct 24): the election office's notice

These links go to official state and county election sites. Hours and rules differ by state; your election office has the final word.

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

Voters choose one of two candidates for mayor and up to two of four candidates for two at-large Borough Council seats. The other four council members are not on this ballot.

Early in-person voting · Oct 24

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Also on your Nov 3 ballot

We research city races only. For these races, go to the state's official guide or a nonpartisan one.

Official voter lookupState voter guideVote411 (League of Women Voters)

Districts come from 2020 Census blocks and the district maps for this election. Your address decides your districts.

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

What the next council decides

01Old Library Building and Civic Center3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council awarded a $2.19 million contract in May 2026 to restore the Old Library Building as the Caldwell Civic Center.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee the project's cost and schedule and decide what comes next for the closed Community Center.

02Capital projects and borrowing3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe borough is funding projects from remaining redevelopment money and new bonds while a police facility and other buildings wait.

What's on the tableThe council will set the order and funding of projects such as a police headquarters, sewer work and the Community Center.

03Downtown parking2 sourced facts

Where it standsThe council voted 5-1 in September 2026 to replace parking meters with pay kiosks.

What's on the tableThe next council will oversee the kiosk rollout and other parking changes downtown.

04Redevelopment and affordable housing3 sourced facts

Where it standsThe former Caldwell Cinema site is designated an area in need of redevelopment, and the borough's fourth-round housing plan was amended after a challenge.

What's on the tableThe council will act on redevelopment plans for designated sites and carry out the borough's affordable housing plan.

05Rent control2 sourced facts

Where it standsCaldwell's rent control ordinance limits yearly rent increases to 2 3/4% of the previous year's rent.

What's on the tableThe council sets the rent control ordinance and appoints a council liaison to the Rent Review Board.

2 notes on these statements

Both council seats on the ballot are held by Democrats Vivian Rodeffer, who is not running for re-election, and Kenneth Jurgensen, who is running for mayor. New Jersey Hills · Oct 19, 2026

Each candidate ran unopposed in the June 2026 primary. Patch

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Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. What should Caldwell do with the Old Library Building?

  2. 2. How should Caldwell plan its big building and infrastructure projects?

  3. 3. Should Caldwell replace its downtown parking meters with pay kiosks?

  4. 4. Should Caldwell use redevelopment designations for vacant downtown sites like the former Caldwell Cinema?

  5. 5. Should Caldwell keep its 2 3/4% yearly cap on rent increases?

Seat the councilSeat the Council →Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.On the recordHow the council voted7 council decisions, each member's vote side by side, with a link to the minutes.

Key dates

The seat math

4 stay (not up this year): Kris Brown, Barbara Buechner, Darren Daniolowicz, Dana Hunkele2 on this ballot

6 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • The governing body is Mayor Garrett Jones and six council members. Borough of Caldwell
  • Under New Jersey's borough form, the mayor is elected at large for four years and six council members are elected at large for three-year terms, two each year. N.J.S.A. 40A
  • Under the borough form, the mayor presides at council meetings and may vote to break a tie. N.J.S.A. 40A
  • The Caldwell sample ballot lists a mayor contest (vote for one) and a Borough Council contest (vote for no more than two). Essex County Clerk

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