The Moving Newark Forward slate of candidates backed by mayor Ras Baraka, Senate Senate President Pro-Tempore Teresa Ruiz (D-Newark) and North Ward councilman Anibal Ramos easily won three seats on the Newark Board of Education tonight.
A’Dorian Murray-Thomas (4,858), Shayvonne Anderson (4,474) and Tave Padilla (4,352) and Shayvonne Anderson (4,474) defeated Leah Owens (1,447), Saafir Jenkins (1,207) and Denise Cole (1,156). Five other candidates ran far behind.
Padilla, a former aide to Nellie Pou and Wilfredo Caraballo, was re-elected to a second term.
Murray-Thomas is the founder of SHE Wins, a social action organization that serves middle and high school girls from more than twenty Newark schools. Anderson is the mother of ten who founded a women’s support group, Healing Her.