Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis is endorsing the “Voices for Progress” slate in the non-partisan November 8th board of education election.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“If elected to the school board, the Voices for Progress candidates will focus on our children. They will offer the community integrity, responsibility, and practicality in office,”
Davis said in a statement.
“The Voices for Progress candidates would bring a great variety of professional experiences to the Board of Education. Gina Irizarry teaches at a PS17 in Jersey City. Angelique Jackson Belle is a businesswoman and community activist. Sam Maggio is a retired Bayonne public school teacher. Ali Hassan is employed in the financial sector. Together, they will work hard for our taxpayers, students, parents, and teachers.”
Maggio, Jackson-Belle, and Irizarry are seeking three-year terms on the volunteer board, while Hassan is seeking the only one-year term up for grabs.
Davis, who was re-elected to a third term in May, hasn’t endorsed a school board ticket since 2019, when he endorsed that incarnation of “Together We Can,” winning two out of the three seats on the line.
The Together We Can team, which is typically endorsed by the majority of the incumbent trustees and also previously linked to former Assemblyman Nick Chiaravalloti, swept the six seats contested in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Trustee Hector Gonzalez, who was appointed to replace David “Doc” Watson in January, is the only incumbent seeking re-election this time around.
He will vie for a one-year term as part of Together We Can this election cycle, which also includes former Trustee Mary Jane Desmond, as well as newcomers William Young and Miriam Bechay.
Additionally, Jahnbaz Almas, a trustee for the Bayonne Education Foundation, is running independently for a three-year term.
