Teaneck residents voted in two incumbents and two challengers from the pool of eight contenders in the May 13 non-partisan election. Incumbents Elie Katz and Lizette Parker maintained their seats and Jason Castle and Alan Sohn, who ran together, also earned four-year terms on council. Township Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin extended his congratulations to all four and noted that he was excited to work with all of them.
Current council members Deputy Mayor Adam Gussen and Yitz Stern along with contenders Dr. Alexander Rashin and Eric Brauer were not elected.
Unofficial election result tallies from the town clerk showed Parker as the number one vote getter with 3,953 votes. This will be her third term on council. In a statement about the election results, she said: “I’m very thankful and humbled to be reelected to the township council and I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to work for and represent the issues that affect the residents of Teaneck.”
Katz, who will be serving his fifth term, received 3,386 votes. Castle and Sohn came in with 3,178 votes and 3,077 votes, respectively.
Long time council member Yitz Stern was just edged out and lost his seat by 51 votes and Adam Gussen came in with 2,695 votes. Stern extended his congratulations to the winners and thanked all those who supported him over the course of the campaign. He added that he is hopeful that the incoming council will serve with the same “passion and determination” with which he and councilman Gussen have served.
“It has been an honor and privilege to work with council members Yitz Stern and Adam Gussen,” Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin said. “They have both served our town with honor and dignity. I am proud of their service and proud to call them my friends and I wish them well in whatever they choose to do next.”
Alexander Rashin, who also ran in the 2012 elections, came in with just 847 votes. Brauer, a first time contender, came in with 2,047 votes. The Mayor congratulated him on his campaign and encouraged him to stay engaged.
Parker campaigned on a platform of continuing to provide respectful and responsive services to town residents. Katz’s platform involved plans to bring new sources of revenue to Teaneck.
Councilmen elects Sohn and Castle’s OneTeaneck platform looks to lower property taxes, increase fiscal responsibility in the township, and change the culture of town meetings to be more open
“This is a campaign where Jason and I reached out to all Teaneck residents and we hope to sincerely represent all of them,” Sohn said in a statement after his election. “I want to extend my congratulations to Elie and Lizette.”
The swearing in for the new council members will take place on July 1. At that time, the member makeup of the council will include Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin, Elie Katz, Mark Schwartz, Lizette Parker, Henry Pruitt, Alan Sohn, and Jason Castle.
By Aliza Chasan
