Local attorney and retired Municipal Court Judge Kenneth Gonzalez, Brooklyn school teacher and former Board of Education Vice President Junior Iglesia, and former City Council President and retired educator Lisa Nanton announced their intention to run as a team for the three City Council seats that are up in the June 2, 2026 Democratic Primary in Perth Amboy. They are running against three incumbent Council members: Hailey Cruz Batista, Milady Tejada, and Kenneth Puccio, who are allies of Mayor Helmin Caba.

City Council candidate Kenneth Gonzalez earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Kean University and a Juris Doctor degree from Rutgers University. He has owned and operated a law practice in Perth Amboy for over 20 years. He served as the Chief Judge of the Perth Amboy Municipal Court for 9 years before retiring from that position. Prior to that, he served as a City Councilmember from 2010 to 2014. He also served as a member of the Perth Amboy Board of Education and eventually as President of the Board between 1999 and 2010. Gonzalez currently serves as the President of the Perth Amboy High School Hall of Fame Committee; as a trustee of the Proprietary House Museum in Perth Amboy; and is a Eucharistic Minister at Good Shepherd Parish Roman Catholic Church in Perth Amboy. Judge Gonzalez has resided in Perth Amboy for over 50 years and lives with his wife of over 30 years, Jeanette Gonzalez. The couple has two adult children who attended Perth Amboy Public Schools.

“In recent years, we have seen a sharp decline in the quality of life and community standards here in Perth Amboy. We have witnessed an increase in crime, and we have seen our City deteriorate compared to the rest of the county. We therefore, feel compelled to take action to announce our candidacies for City Council in order to hold Mayor Caba and his administration accountable to the citizens of Perth Amboy. We are confident that when elected we will be able to improve the quality of life for all of the members of our community,” said Gonzalez.

City Council candidate Junior Iglesia was born in Santiago, Dominican Republic and immigrated to the United States with his family in January 1995. Mr. Iglesia holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Finance from Baruch College and a master’s degree in Childhood Education from the College of Staten Island. After moving to Perth Amboy, and in addition to his responsibilities as a teacher in the New York City Public School system, Mr. Iglesia dedicated his free time to public service and community development. In 2014, he cofounded the Perth Amboy Soccer Club and has in the past served as a Perth Amboy Democratic Organization Committeeman ultimately serving as the organization’s secretary.

Mr. Iglesia was elected to the Perth Amboy Board of Education and served with distinction from 2016 through 2022. During his time on the Board, Mr. Iglesia was chosen to serve as the Vice President. Mr. Iglesia is an active member of Saint Stephen’s Roman Catholic Church and is deeply committed to faith, family, and community values.

“We definitely need change on our City Council. We require a City Council that is independent from the mayor and his administration. This is the only way that the voice of the public can be assured of being heard when City Hall conducts business. The three of us running together for City Council will be the public’s voice,” said Mr. Iglesia.

City Council candidate Lisa Nanton was born in Perth Amboy and was employed as a music teacher and choral director for the Old Bridge Public School system for 37 years until her retirement in 2010. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music from Glassboro State College and a master’s degree in Counseling and Psychology from Kean University. She is the widow of the late jazz icon Morris Nanton and has two adult sons. In 2012, she was elected to serve as a Perth Amboy City Council member and was later chosen by her fellow Council members to serve as Council President. Prior to serving on the Council, Ms. Nanton was elected to the Perth Amboy Board of Education. In addition, she was appointed to several local boards, including the Perth Amboy Zoning Board and Planning Board. Ms. Nanton was the founder of the Perth Amboy Arts Council. She is serving her 3rd term as the President of the Board of Trustees for the Proprietary House Museum, which received a 3 million legislative grant under her leadership. She also serves as a member of the Vestry at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Perth Amboy.

“The reason I am running with this team is so that we can change the tone of the Council that is supposed to serve this City. We will work to address the parking and traffic problems, to do everything within our power to ensure that we have clean drinking water and to make sure that no billionaire developer gets unnecessary and unreasonable tax breaks at the expense of our community,” said Ms. Nanton.

The three candidates have announced they will run under the UNITED DEMOCRATS FOR PERTH AMBOY banner and look forward to taking their campaign directly to the people of Perth Amboy.

“The three of us are prepared to walk neighborhood by neighborhood, and house to house to meet with the registered Democratic voters of the City of Perth Amboy. We are prepared to articulate specific ways to improve this City and are also looking forward to attending a candidate debate to showcase our ideas on how we can improve Perth Amboy. I am confident this is the team best equipped to bring about the change needed to ensure that Perth Amboy will realize its potential,” said Judge Gonzalez.