New Jersey
Trailblazer: Mayor Glenn Cunningham – New Jersey Globe
Glenn Cunningham (1943-2004) was the first and only Black to win election for mayor of Jersey City.
After serving in the Marines, Cunningham began a 25-year career as a Jersey City police officer. He retired as a captain.
Cunningham began his political career in 1975, winning a seat on the Hudson County Board of Freeholders.
He lost party support for re-election in 1978 after Jersey City mayor Thomas F.X. Smith decided to pick his own candidate. Instead, he ran for re-election as an independent and came within 803 votes of winning against the Democratic candidate, Harry Massey.
Cunningham was elected to the Jersey City Council in 1981, winning a race for the Bergen-Lafayette Ward seat. Cunningham ran with mayoral candidate Gerald McCann, while rival Harry Laurie was the running mate of State Sen. Walter Sheil.
In the May election, Laurie led Cunningham by 30 votes, 34%-33%, in a race that forced a June runoff. Cunningham defeated Laurie by 323 votes/
Cunningham became a bitter rival of Mayor Gerald McCann. He was re-elected in 1985, winning a runoff on a ticket with Anthony Cucci, who ousted McCann. He became the council president.
In 1987, Cunningham challenged two-term State Sen. Edward O’Connor in the 31st district. He lost by 1,049 votes, 52%-48%.
He ran for mayor of Jersey City in 1989 and finished second in a seven-candidate field. McCann led Cunningham by 3,904 votes, 26%-18%, followed by former mayor Smith (13%), former mayor Cucci (12%), Councilman Thomas Fricchione (12% and two others.
After leaving city government, he became the Hudson County director of public safety.
McCann won the runoff by 5,920 votes, 55%-45%.
President Clinton appointed him to serve as U.S. Marshal for New Jersey in 1996.
Cunningham returned to elective politics in 2001 as a candidate for mayor. The incumbent, Bret Schundler, did not seek re-election into to become a candidate for the Republican gubernatorial nomination.
In the May election, Cunningham led council president Tom DeGise by 5,384 votes, 39%-24%. Freeholder Louis Manzo finished third with 20%, followed by Kevin Sluka (9%) and Robert Cavanaugh (8%).
Cunningham defeated DeGise in the runoff by 2,651 votes, 53%-47%.
State Sen. Joseph Charles (D-Jersey City) did not seek re-election in 2003 and instead was nominated to serve as a Superior Court Judge.
Cunningham sought the open Senate seat – at the time, New Jersey permitted dual officeholding – and defeated Jersey City Council President L. Harvey Smith by 2,088 votes in the Democratic primary, 48%-27%. Former Assistant Hudson County prosecutor Vincent Militello finished third with 13%.
Despite the certainty of Cunningham’s general election victory – Republicans have never won the Jersey City-based Senate seat – Smith challenged Cunningham in a September special election convention to fill the remainder of Charles’ term. He won by a vote of 159 to 104.
Cunningham won the Senate seat with 79% and took office in January 2004.
On May 24, 2004, Cunningham died of a heart attack. He was 60.
His widow, Sandra Bolden Cunningham, won his State Senate seat in 2007.
New Jersey
Newark man arrested in fatal New Jersey Chick-Fil-A shooting
A Newark man has been arrested and charged with murder after police said he opened fire in a New Jersey Chick-fil-A, killing a man and leaving six other people hurt.
Jaheed Fields was busted nearly three weeks after the shooting in the Union Township fast food shop, county prosecutor William Daniel announced Friday.
Fields, 20, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and six counts of attempted murder, as well as unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
“The brazen nature of this incident, occurring in a crowded restaurant where people should feel safe, was an affront to our citizens and the security they deserve,” Daniel said.
“This arrest is a testament to the meticulous work and seamless coordination between all of the law enforcement agencies involved, and a reminder that Union County will never tolerate acts of lawlessness that threaten our residents.”
Officials did not reveal a motive for the shooting.
Fields allegedly fired several rounds inside the Chick-fil-A around 9 p.m. on April 11, with witnesses describing the scene as a “warzone.”
Malek Shepherd, 23, of New York City, was killed at the scene, police said.
Six other victims were taken to area hospitals and treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses at the time said a group of masked men charged into the shop and fired multiple shots after forcing their way behind the counter.
It’s unclear if additional arrests were expected.
New Jersey
20-year-old charged with deadly shooting at Union, New Jersey Chick-fil-A
UNION, New Jersey (WABC) — A 20-year-old man is charged with the deadly mass shooting that caused chaos at a Chick-fil-A in New Jersey.
Jaheed Fields of Newark is facing several charges including murder and attempted murder.
On April 11, Fields opened fire inside the Chick-fil-A on Route 22 in Union. A 23-year-old man was killed and six others were hurt. Customers inside the restaurant went scrambling for the exits.
So far, no motive for the shooting has been revealed.
Witnesses say they heard at least seven shots piercing into the crowd.
Longtime customers said they were shaken by the violence.
“That’s what’s terrifying, being a father or a parent, you have to always be vigilant and keep your head on a swivel and make sure that you’re paying attention to your surroundings and try to avoid getting yourself into a situation and unfortunately coming to a Chick-fil-A at dinner time is apparently a situation you may have to avoid now a days,” customer Christopher Devido said.
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New Jersey
May Day protests in Newark, Jersey City bring out support for causes
NJ workers’ rights activists march and rally in Newark on May Day
Workers’ rights activists march and rally in Newark for May Day on May 1, 2026.
Protests marched through two of the largest cities in New Jersey on May Day.
On a cool, sunny Friday morning, activists gathered at the Abraham Lincoln statue on Springfield Avenue in Newark for a rally, followed by a march to Broad Street.
Later that afternoon, protesters met in front of City Hall in Jersey City and continued their protest by walking down to the Hudson River waterfront before making their way back to City Hall.
The protests are among many on May 1 taking place across New Jersey and nationwide as part of an effort known as May Day Strong to call attention to such issues as the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, taxing the wealthy, affordability, and corporate power, while also calling on the public to do “no work, no school, no shopping” if not protesting.
Montclair resident Karen Szczepanski was one of the participants and part of a small group of protesters taking part in a 50-mile, several-day march starting from the Lincoln Statue in Newark and ending in Trenton on May 7. That march is to call on state legislators to pass a bill to make fossil fuel companies pay billions for pollution.
“Part of the May Day celebrations today is to highlight the destruction that the Trump Administration is doing to the environment,” Szczepanski said. “This affects all of our communities. Not just Newark, not Jersey City, it affects all of our communities.”
Longtime Newark activist Larry Hamm led attendees in a chant of “Happy May Day” as he addressed them about how the federal minimum wage in the country have been stagnant for years before embarking on a march in Downtown Newark.
”CEO pay has increased, bosses pay has increased, management pay has increased. It’s time for the workers pay to increase,” Hamm said.
Ricardo Kaulessar covers race, immigration, and culture for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: kaulessar@northjersey.com
Twitter/X: @ricardokaul
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