Linden Mayor Armstead Making a Move in CD-10
The allies of Linden Mayor Derek Armstead are collecting signatures, intent on getting their man on the ballot for the July 16th special election in CD-10.
A ten-year mayoral veteran who’s prepared to make a case for strong leadership in the area of taxes and quality of life for his constituents, Armstead wants to supply a voice to the entire district, including his home county of Union.
A scrappy executive who’s battle-tested and used to fighting, Democrat Armstead is said to be figuring out a winning strategy as he seeks to meet Friday’s petition deadline at the Secretary of State’s Office.
As of this evening, Newark Council President Lamonica McIver is the sole candidate to have submitted petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office.
McIver has substantial organizational support in her home county of Essex.
But Armstead, who fought the establishment in his hometown to become mayor, has other plans.
Armstead fought the machine for years, going back to when he first nabbed a Ward 4 Council seat.
His father was a mail carrier, and his grandparents 7th Ward District 2 committee people who backed Joe Suliga for council, that Linden product who would go on to claim the District 22 Senate seat before dying in a car accident and creating the pathway for Nick Scutari’s shot at the senate.
In 2014, Scutari tried to get along with Armstead, an unreconstructed rebel if one examines his political career. How could the senator make the newly elected mayor’s life easier?
He could get rid of Chris Hudak as the local Democratic Party chairman.
Ok, done.
Scutari did that, nothing personal. Just trying to make happy the man who beat the local machine in the Democratic Primary. Scutari made himself chairman, and Armstead seemed somewhat politically content.
But by the time he built his own majority on the council – and Linden has the biggest city council among all of New Jersey’s municipalities, incidentally, composed of an at-large council president and ten ward representatives – going from a 2-9 minority to 6-5 majority in 2018 (the process was complicated) – he and Scutari fell apart. They tried but couldn’t, and when Scutari ran for the chairmanship of the Union County Democratic Organization, the mayor backed his rival, Fanwood Mayor Colleen Mahr.
Scutari won, and subsequently tried to finish the job by stymying Armstead.
The mayor survived, endured – just as Scutari did, and the pair found a way to make it somehow symbiotically work. Strained but doable. Now Armstead wants to buck the bosses by going for the congressional seat made vacant by the death of U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr.
Derek is a man of integrity! Thr only Mayor I have seen to meet and greet the people of Linden. He dosent care who you are what you look like he would greet with a smile and even strike up a simple conversation not about politics, but asking and getting to know a person. Derek, is amazing, loves his family’s and have a very good heart for people no matters, of the color, nationality. He loves Linden and treats it like a home. He has also done a lot of beautiful things in the town. God bless you Derek for trying to keep the town safe and pray you continue to achieving your goals. Please excuse Typos and grammatical errors
Armstead is a yes man, he tells you anything you want to hear so he can get ahead. He places his family members in positions, nepotism runs deep and very arogant. He tells people if he isn’t mayor one of his family members will be.
Mishandles funds, raises taxes while giving developers who help him out huge tax breaks. He meets with developers in bars outside of town to negotiate his deals and despite the city of linden setup as stong council weak mayor, in realty it is run the opposite.
His political aspiration know no bounds which is why he is jumping at this opportunity.
Recently you may have received calls from Mayor Armstead’s phone bank trying to rally votes for soneone he scrambled to find who will be an Armstead yes man that you can support in the primaries for 9th ward city council since Armando Medina moved out of town and Mayor Armstead dislikes the other candidate with a passion or so I am told.
If that wasn’t enough, please allow me to share some information with you.
The mayor created a new high salary position under him called Business Administrator who he already appointed someone with zero experience to take over a lot of the Mayor’s duties and ensures city employees actually live in Linden, HOWEVER the kicker is that he gave her a waiver for that requirement as she does not live in Linden herself.
Seems a bit hypocritical right?
Well Mayor Armstead also created another job position, assistant to the Business manager, basically a secretarial job with a salary of up to approximately $137,000 per year.
If that wasn’t enough…
Mayor Armstead is also planning to raise your taxes which he already secured doing.
Meanwhile the current tax assessor is retiring but they don’t have anybody in line to replace him.
Armstead is bad for Linden, he limited residents ability to question his and councils votes and projects to unreasonably short Q&A he himself could stay within the first meeting after.
Our country doesn’t need someone who has their own self interest at heart over constituents and our country. Bad for congress.
I support and endorse Mayor Derek Armstead wholeheartedly. When my family and I first moved to Linden in 1999. Derek was one of the first persons that I had met. We met at the town Supermarket and at that time he was the councilmen. Over the years, I have seen his passion and love for Linden grow enormously! So his experience of dealing with ruthless politics and not so favorable challenges. Overcoming the naysayers and putting his life on the line for the city has been an amazing journey. He has grown in many areas of his role and certainly that makes him a great candidate for DC10. ¹His passion, drive, experience, proven track record, and tenure makes him the perfect candidate for the job. I certainly stand by him and fully support him. He is a man of integrity, a man of his word, family man, and visible person in the community. He has done a great job as mayor, despite the haters trying to stain his reputation, He is the capable man for the job! We endorse Mayor Derek Armstead for DC 10.
Hello All , I live on tremely point for 13 years and I can tell you Our mayor has always been there for us. Our taxes have stayed in the lower side. Even on the pandemic he drove around dressed im a Easter bunny outfit and gave everyone hope in the midst of things. When I call and complain they always answer and come through. And why can’t his family run for any position they are entitled too.
Mayor leave us in good hands when you retire.
Sorry for the typo
Agreed. If he gets this position all of his family members will be in office with ZERO experience. Linden residents !! make sure this doesn’t happen !! outsiders may not know what goes on but if you’re from Linden you know EXACTLY how devilish this man is, not to mention, back in the day, he was on the streets doing illegal things !! and somehow still was elected mayor !!
Please tell me this is a Joke , this guy is the Worse type of Politician. Don’t waste ya vote with this guy. Total Farce and Great Yes man one can not TRUST.
Victor- You have no credibility in this comment because the City has not even hired a business administrator so that is a complete lie. Not sure where you’re hearing this from, maybe from all the Armstead haters who have nothing better to do with their time except troll on facebook to provide unintelligent, uneducated and unproven comments like you just did here. Also you’re probably the same Victor running as a Republican candidate in the 9th ward council race so you’re completely conflicted in this conversation. It’s like Pepsi shaming Coca Cola except you’re lying and it’s 100% a fact on that matter. If anyone wants to validate Victor’s lie, call the clerk’s office at City Hall… there is no BA so he is 100% lying LOL!
Mayor Armstead is terrible. Take a good look at Linden folks. What do we have? Empty apartments yet overcrowded building, code violations, backdoor deals, tax burdens to residents, businesses not opening, nepotism, terrible traffic, asbestos air…you name it.
Lifelong resident here. Can’t wait to go. The only ones supporting him are the ones who wouldn’t know any better right down to his six figure paid wife who is already in these comments hiding.
How the apartments empty and overcrowded? Your math is off.. rethink this statement and then try again . Also his family ran on their own merits and won their elections. You could be in the same positions if you apply yourself. Don’t blame him bc they decided to follow in his steps. No one was appointed. These comments come from ignorance and are overall false!
Please drive through Linden. This town has been destroyed. It was once nice town with shops, now all it is is overdeveloped. His goals is to control the police dept, town, and BOE. So many family on these elected positions. All he wants is to line his pockets. First job when in office = $30k raise to his salary. Nice new police SUV to drive. Wake up people! You think he is thinking of your best interest? Smoke and mirrors.
I was born here and am now back due to family obligations. It is a horrible shame what has happened. Mayor Gregorio is rolling in his grave, he was no angel but he did the town well.
The former Mayor was an abomination. “The GM plant
closed” was his reply for literally everything he was too lazy to address. I’m not even a Democrat but voted for Armstead, hoping he would fulfill his campaign promises. He did. We haven’t had a municipal property tax increase in a few years, just what the County tacked on thanks to their total fiscal mismanagement. I’m not loyal to any party, I’ll vote for the best candidate always. Mercifully I’m moving soon and won’t be at the mercy of whoever replaces him so hopefully it will be someone like Mayor Armstead .
As politicians go, he’s definitely one of the best NJ has overall (no politician is perfect). Sadly by the special election I’ll probably have moved to a different district but if not, he has my support. If he aspires to the Governor’s office, I’ll support him for that too.
This guy is a total idiot. He claims to make a case for strong leadership in the area of taxes. Well, someone needs to look into his 5 or 6 properties owned in the town of Linden, which, at least 1/2 of them, have back taxes owed on the properties. He is the worse mayor Linden has ever had. I remember Gregorio. Sure, he wasn’t a saint, but he cared about the town & did a lot of great things for the people of Linden.
Whatever you do DO NOT vote for this person. He will only make things worse, just on a larger scale.