Alex Valdez Won Hudson County Commissioner Race By Being Persistent

Unofficial results from the Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Democratic Primary Election show Alex Valdez winning the only contested race on the ballot in Harrison, capturing the District 9 Hudson County Commissioner nomination by a significant margin. This was his second race for Hudson County Commissioner.  Valdez made an impression on his first run for Commissioner and has now achieved his goal.

According to unofficial election results available as of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, Valdez received 1,940 votes, representing 44.1 percent of all votes cast in the three-way race. Harrison Councilman Larry Bennett finished second with 1,244 votes (28.25 percent), while Mina Ekiadious received 1,199 votes (27.23 percent). There were 16 write-in votes, accounting for 0.36 percent of the vote.

A total of 4,403 votes were cast in the District 9 County Commissioner contest.

Valdez's victory margin was substantial. He finished 696 votes ahead of Bennett, while Bennett finished just 45 votes ahead of Ekiadious in the battle for second place.

The results are particularly noteworthy given the district's makeup, which includes Harrison, Kearny, East Newark, Secaucus and portions of Jersey City. Valdez was able to pull away with a convincing victory despite the presence of another well-known Kearny candidate in the race. Mina Ekiadious, a respected Kearny police officer and President of the local PBA, was expected by many observers to perform strongly among Kearny voters and he did.

Bennett also entered the race with name recognition in Harrison, where he currently serves on the town council. However, his public support for the proposed EPA toxic sludge processing facility in Harrison became a significant issue among voters. The proposed project would be located across from several modern residential developments in the Riverbend District, including Steelworks, Vermella Harrison, Cobalt Lofts, and Wyldes Harrison.  It is also just over the PATH rail lines in the SOHA section of Harrison, where the Urby buildings reside among other apartment buildings.

Opponents of the project have argued that the proposed facility is inappropriate for an area that has seen substantial residential redevelopment over the past decade. Residents of those developments have been actively involved in local discussions about the proposal and have turned out to vote in this election. A long-time resident stated that Harrison was no longer contaminated. The Toxic Sludge plant is earmarked for the PSE&G property in Harrison, which was cleaned up at a cost of $360 million to $400 million.  The property is supposed to be developed into a Green Space (Park), a mult-level community center, and a traffic improvement project of a drop-off zone for the PATH station and residents, along with a Turnaround to improve traffic flow on South Frank E. Rodgers Blvd in Harrison. A Toxic Sludge Plant would table the latter depending on who is answering the question, 10, 20, or 30 years.

Bennett vacated his 3^rd Ward Harrison Council seat in order to seek the Hudson County Commissioner position. It remains unclear whether any candidates filed petitions by Tuesday, June 3, 2026, the deadline to seek election in the November General Election.

The results reported above remain unofficial and are subject to final certification by election officials. Additional vote-by-mail ballots and provisional ballots could impact the final totals, although Valdez's commanding lead appears unlikely to be overcome. Valdez’s numbers improved throughout the day as additional districts reported tallies.

YourHarrison.com will continue to monitor developments related to the District 9 County Commissioner race and any potential candidates who may seek elected office in the November General Election.

Residents are encouraged to remain involved in local government and attend public meetings. The next Harrison Mayor & Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

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