SAYREVILLE – Democrats in Sayreville will take complete control of the Borough Council with the victories of newcomers Kevin Dalina and Damon Enriquez.
On Nov. 6, Democrats Dalina and Enriquez emerged as the top vote-getters in the election for two three-year terms on the Borough Council, according to results posted online by the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office. Dalina received 6,864 votes and Enriquez collected 6,595 votes.
Incumbent Republican Pat Lembo, a member of the council since 2016, received 5,967 votes and Republican Joel Bloom recorded 5,974 votes, according to the clerk’s office.
The results are unofficial until certified by the county.
When Dalina and Enriquez join the council in January, Democrats will gain all six council seats. Democrats currently hold a 5-1 majority while Republicans hold one council seat and the mayor’s office. After Lembo, the one Republican member of the council, departs at the end of the year, Mayor Kennedy O’Brien will be the only Republican member of Sayreville’s municipal government.
“Congratulations to Kevin Dalina and Damon Enriquez and also thank you to our competitors, the Republican candidates Pat Lembo and Joel Bloom,” the Sayreville Democratic Organization wrote in an online statement. “It was by no means an easy race and thank you both for making us work that much harder. We look forward to moving Sayreville forward with the help of all residents regardless of party affiliation.”
Dalina is currently a commissioner on the Sayreville Economic and Redevelopment Agency (SERA), which he was appointed to in 2017, and previously served on the Board of Health from 2015-16. Professionally, he is the event manager and an adjunct professor at Middlesex County College where he teaches in the History and Social Sciences Department.
“To all the voters of Sayreville, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for electing Damon Enriquez and I to the Borough Council,” Dalina said. “I am so grateful for the amount of support we received during the campaign. It has truly been a humbling experience and I am honored that you have placed your trust in me.
“While on the campaign trail, we received incredible feedback and heard the concerns of our residents,” he continued. “With the trust you have placed in us, we will work tirelessly on your behalf to help address these concerns and we will work hard to make improvements to your quality of life, from tackling overdevelopment and water quality to keeping our taxes stable.
“Again, I want to thank you for providing me with the opportunity to be your councilman,” Dalina said. “It truly means the world to me.”
Enriquez serves on the executive board of the Sayreville Junior Bombers Football organization and Cheer organization, which he is also actively involved with as a coach; his three children are all a part of the program. As a professional, Enriquez currently works for CenturyLink as a network technician, where he has been employed for 13 years. Previously, he served in the U.S. Navy as an operations specialist for eight years, serving during Operation Desert Storm, the Haitian conflict, and the Bosnian conflict, and earning eight medals.
During his first term on the council, Enriquez stated it is critical to stop over-development, maintain fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency, and prioritize public safety and improving the quality of life for Sayreville residents.
“As a coach, I want to build on council accomplishments, such as securing the $1.5 million grant to give us new playing fields,” Enriquez said prior to the election. “I would like to continue that by ensuring that Kennedy Park maintains its open space status. It is also important to me that Sayreville is not inundated with traffic and congestion that would come from the development of thousands of new housing units.”
Dalina’s and Enriquez’s terms will run from Jan. 1, 2019, through Dec. 31, 2021.