EAST ORANGE - Relationship-building forms the backbone of public life for Essex County Commissioner Wayne Richardson, the labor leader from Newark running for reelection in the June 2nd Democratic Primary.

President and Founder of the Pathways to Apprenticeship New Jersey, Richardson prides himself on his connectivity throughout Essex County as he strives to get working people into the middle class. That's the big priority for Richardson, who grew up in the North Ward, where he received his earliest labor training before moving to the South Ward, where he lives now. As part of that effort, he makes affirmative action a large priority for county vendor and contractor bids while fulfilling his duties as a county commissioner, he told InsiderNJ.

"The county runs the day-to-day and we work with them on the upkeep of parks and roads and bridges, the Turtle Back Zoo, and our golf courses - all places where people - families - can go locally," said Richardson. "One thing for me has always been minority contractors and vendors and giving them an opportunity for work. It's important that those people we hire employ Essex County residents. In that way, I am focused on economic employment, like what I do for the Laborers."

As he runs in a field of 11 people for four countywide seats, the commissioner said he wants people to remember the value of relationships he forged not only among the different departments that comprise county government, but throughout the Essex network of local governments, and, of course, his specialty - labor.

"I go straight to the directors because of relationships I have built over time," said Richardson, who first met Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo on the job over 40 years ago.

He's a strong ally of DiVincenzo.

"Look at his record," said the commissioner. "Cut through the hype - and what you see is he's turned the county around."

The coming primary marks a departure from past countywide contests for at-large commissioner seats as establishment candidates won't have the benefit of bracketing with the Essex County Democratic Committee. They will have a crack at obtaining the slogan, however, at this coming Saturday's county party convention. Richardson said he proudly pursues that continued organization support.

The commissioner also praised the early work of Governor Mikie Sherrill, who he said shows her strong support for project labor agreements, fully funded public education, and the workers who depend on the Gateway Tunnel project.

"She's been 100% aggressively supportive of the tunnel and labor," said Richardson, and a partner as "I work every day to bring people who haven't been in the middle class into the middle class.

"She's a warrior for working people," he added of the governor.

By way of context from the county:

Elected to his first term as District 2 Commissioner in November of 2014, Richardson won election in November 2017 and 2020. In January 2018, he was elected Vice President of the Board and re-elected in 2019 and elected President in 2021. He grew up in Newark, graduated from Barringer High School, and served as a District Leader and Assistant Ward Chairperson in Newark’s North Ward in the 1980’s.

Commissioner Richardson worked as a business agent for Laborers Local 108 and later served as an organizer for the Laborers Eastern Region Organizing Fund (LEROF). He serves as President of Laborers Local 55, and in 2014, he was promoted to Lead Organizer, representing an area that includes New Jersey, Delaware, New York City, and Long Island.