Gov. Mikie Sherrill yesterday endorsed Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo, Jr. for re-election to a seventh term.
The endorsement comes as no surprise: DiVincenzo was one of Sherrill’s earliest supporters in her campaigns for Congress and Governor. DiVincenzo has no opposition in the Democratic primary – nobody filed to challenge him at the Democratic county convention — but he’s still running full steam in advance of the March 23 filing deadline.
“The greatest compliment I can give to Joe is that he leads from the front. During COVID, he was at the vaccination centers. At food distributions, he is giving boxes out. He is always making sure people are ok,” said Sherrill. “Joe is focused on doing what is right for the people of Essex County, and he knows what it takes to be a good public servant. I am proud to endorse Joe D as our County Executive.”
DiVincenzo, a former college football player, was elected Essex County Freeholder in 1990 and served eight terms as board president. He won a hotly contested primary for county executive in 2002 against Thomas Giblin and flipped the office in the general election after eight years of Republican control.
“I bring the same high level of enthusiasm and energy to Essex County that I had on day one,” DiVincenzo stated. “Together with my team and with the support of our residents, we can continue to tackle difficult issues and accomplish even more.”
