THANK YOU PISCATAWAY VOTERS! Last night, we continued our movement for independent, progressive leadership by winning our FIRST EVER WARD SEAT!! Running strong, competitive races in every ward for the first time ever made this victory possible.

Congratulations to Shantell Cherry for Piscataway Ward 1 on her historic victory! A founding PPDO member and leader of the Piscataway school community, Shantell has always been on the front lines in the fight for justice. Cherry beat incumbent Councilman Frank Uhrin by over 100 votes.

"I am honored and humbled by the support of Ward 1 Democrats who voted for me. I am looking forward to being a new voice for all of our neighbors, one that is responsive and accountable. I am so proud of the race our entire slate ran, this was a total team effort. We have been running against a well-oiled machine, and we continue to win," said Cherry. (Although she is a member of the Board of Education, Cherry ran in her personal capacity and is not representing the School Board, nor is she authorized to do so).

The all-volunteer, grassroots organization has been running and backing progressive candidates since Donald Trump first took office in 2017. Despite spending less than $20,000 in the entire 2026 race, the PPDO candidates increased voter turnout and its share of the vote substantially across the entire community.

"We fielded an incredible slate of the hardest working candidates, who won coveted endorsements and brought their energy and enthusiasm to all of these races. We have never run this many competitive ward races before," said Staci Berger, PPDO chair. "We are absolutely thrilled to continue to close the gap on the Council to 4-3, and expand representation for working families in our local government. We are on the move, and we're not stopping now.

"Thank you to Elizabeth "Betsy" Aumack for Piscataway Ward 2, Viola Stone for Piscataway Ward 3 and @ Rashaad Couloote for Piscataway Ward 4 for their inspiring campaigns and hard work. We are inspired by them, and all of supporters and neighbors who took lawn signs, reached out to their friends and families, and voted for change. We have gone from an entrenched machine that had a 7-0 margin to one that is split 4-3 in just two years. The end of the County Line has brought real opportunity for independent, progressive candidates to run and win. Last night, we did just that," Berger said.

In addition to being endorsed by PPDO, the ticket had support from Mayor Ras J. Baraka, New Jersey Working Families Party, CAIR Action New Jersey, New Jersey Citizen Action, Food & Water Action and the two progressive members of the council elected in 2024, Council Member Laura Leibowitz and Council Member Sarah Rashid. The slate also earned the Moms Demand Action Gun Sense candidate designations.