NJ-11: Battle lines are drawn in Belleville

The Democratic primary for New Jersey’s 11th congressional district and the nonpartisan race for mayor of Belleville – two very different races happening in different months with different electorates – have become intertwined.

The incumbent mayor, Michael Melham, is an ally of Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill (D-Montclair), one of the leading candidates for the 11th district. Melham, alongside three Bellville councilmembers, endorsed Gill on the first day of his congressional campaign, and Gill was listed as one of Melham’s Day One supporters when he launched his own re-election bid.

Melham faces a challenge, however, from 24-year-old Belleville Councilman Frank Vélez, who ran for State Assembly last year as an ally of Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop. Earlier this week, one of Gill’s main 11th district opponents, former Rep. Tom Malinowski, endorsed Vélez’s mayoral campaign; today, Vélez returned the favor and backed Malinowski for Congress.

In his endorsement, Malinowski cited the fact that Melham, a political independent who has won two nonpartisan terms as mayor, supported Republican Jack Ciattarelli for governor in both 2021 and 2025. (Ciattarelli ended up losing Belleville by double digits both times.) He also highlighted Melham’s comments at a council meeting last year that he “[didn’t] believe an insurrection happened on January 6th,” 2021, when pro-Trump protesters stormed the Capitol.


https://newjerseyglobe.com/congress/nj-11-battle-lines-are-drawn-in-belleville/