Vowing to be a “bridge between the Democrats and Independents” on the Town Council, Richard Steffens was sworn in as mayor of Secaucus on Aug. 25 after the council voted unanimously to appoint him to the post.
Steffens, a Democrat, will now serve out the remainder of Dennis Elwell’s mayoral term, which ends on Dec. 31. There will be a mayoral election this November, and the victor will take office Jan. 1.
Elwell resigned from office in July after he was arrested on corruption charges stemming from an FBI investigation.
After he was sworn in, Steffens immediately joined the Town Council for its regularly scheduled public meeting, which he chaired as mayor.
Steffens served two terms on the Town Council, representing the 1st Ward. He was first elected as a Democrat in 1979 and reelected in 1981. He also served for several years on the Secaucus School Board in the mid-1970s.
Third Ward Town Councilman John Reilly had been acting in Elwell’s stead since his resignation. His duties as acting mayor ended when Steffens was sworn in.
Steffens has said repeatedly that he has no interest in the seat long-term and does not plan to run for mayor in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
Currently the only candidate running for mayor in Secaucus is 2nd Ward Town Councilman Michael Gonnelli, who is running and an Independent. Gonnelli had
been expected to square off against Elwell, a Democrat who was seeking his fifth term as mayor.
The Secaucus Democratic Committee must still decide whether to run a mayoral candidate against Gonnelli. – E. Assata Wright
Steffens sworn in as Secaucus mayor
