Get Ready for Unprecedented Election in Ventnor City, New Jersey

I have had a long “love affair” with Ventnor City, New Jersey.

It was my home for most of the first half of my lifetime.

I served as a member of the Board of Education, Board of Recreation Commissioners and twice a candidate for the Ventnor City Commission.

The current 3 member Ventnor, New Jersey City Commission must be doing something right. Here they are:

Mayor Lance B. Landgraf Jr. - Commissioner of Public Works.
Tim Kriebel - Commissioner of Public Safety.
Maria Mento - Commissioner of Public Works.

The reason the headline of this article reads:

Get Ready for Unprecedented Election in Ventnor City, New Jersey.

In modern Ventnor City history, the Ventnor City Commission elections … which take place every 4 years … have always been highly and fiercely contested elections … featuring multiple slates of candidates, along with individual candidates seeking the office.

Landgraf, Kriebel and Mento will be running unopposed this May 14, 2024 in the non-partisan Ventnor City Commission election.

They will not even have to run a campaign. I’m not sure that this is good thing … because, it’s healthy to make incumbents have to earn re-election.

However, it does reflect well on these 3 incumbents.

When I ran in 1988 and 1992, there was a combined 25 candidates who ran during these two election cycles.

It has always been commonplace to have at least 6 to 12 candidates running every 4 years.

Former Ventnor City Commissioners Phil Robinson, Ray Hart, Doris Thompson, Ted Bergman, Scott Becker, Charles Cianci, Paul Maccagnano, Tim Kreischer, Joe Schafer, Sandy Vespertino to name a handful … never had the luxury of running unopposed for re-election.

It’s unprecedented.

Ventnor is a great city to live and raise a family.

The May 14, 2024 Ventnor City Commission election is over, before it begins.

Landgraf, Kriebel and Mento have already won re-election.