Wednesday, 15 November 2023 n www.TheObserver.com n Volume CXXXVI, Issue No. 28
UNDER THE COVER Though she was never elected, Therese Jones was Kearny’s first female mayor — in 1938. See Page 19
MADAME MAYOR BELLEVILLE n BLOOMFIELD n EAST NEWARK n HARRISON n KEARNY n LYNDHURST n NORTH ARLINGTON n NUTLEY
History is made as Carol Jean Doyle becomes Kearny’s first elected female mayor, beating 2 challengers
By Kevin A. Canessa Jr.
K
Left photos by Barbara B. Goldberg; right photo by Martin Nystrom Clockwise, from top left, Doyle stands outside her ‘new’ office after being sworn-in earlier in the day on Nov. 8, 2023. Then, she is seen taking the oath as Town Clerk Pat Carpenter, left, Niall Handley, her ‘Irish’ son, holding the Bible, and Norman Doyle III, her son, look on. Lastly, Doyle is seen in the Town Hall chambers with one of her dearest friends and Kearny’s soon-t0-be Deputy Mayor Melanie A. Ryan.
kc@theobserver.com
earny has its first female mayor since 1938 and the first ever who is the elected the choice of the people. Carol Jean Doyle, who for the last 27 years had served as a Third Ward Councilwoman, won the town’s mayoralty on Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, fending back challenges from former Councilman and former interim Mayor Peter P. Santana and town realtor Sydney J. Ferreira. Doyle ran as an unaffiliated Democrat (her opponents kept trying to call her “independent,” but make no mistake about it — she was and still is a fierce Democrat), opposed by the Hudson County Democratic Organization, whilst Santana ran as a Democrat with the
HCDO’s backing politically and financially and Ferreira as a Republican with state GOP support. The most recent results had Doyle with 1,720 votes or 37.5% of the votes; Ferreira with 1,439 votes or 31.37% of the votes; and Santana with 1,412 votes or 30.78% of the votes. The only other woman who served as mayor of Kearny was Therese Jones, who became mayor herself when her own husband, Arthur Jones, died in office in 1938. Her mayoralty was the briefest in town history and lasted from Oct. 12, 1938 until Dec. 31, 1938. Santana’s term, similarly, was the second-shortest mayoral time in office, spanning a little under four months. The morning after the election, Nov. 8, See DOYLE, Page 18