TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—Council President Michael DeSena is making a second bid for mayor—this time as an Independent—vying against Democrat Meghan Stamatopoulos and Republican incumbent Peter Calamari for the township’s top job. DeSena, who lost to Calamari by 49 votes in the 2021 general election, is running on a new “Time for Change” slate with fellow Independents Desserie Morgan and Marc A. Moschella, who are vying for two open council seats. All three filed petitions following the June 10 primary election.
DeSena, whose council term runs through 2027, is a senior civil engineer with the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission and an adjunct professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. With more than 30 years’ experience in public infrastructure and civil engineering, he manages large-scale construction projects. He is president of the nonprofit Washington Township Baseball & Softball organization.
Calamari, a two-term incumbent mayor whose first priority on the job was to revive plans for the now-completed overhaul of the Pascack Road–Washington Avenue intersection, started his career as a computer programmer before worked his way up to owning the company. He sold that concern then founded and managed a trucking business serving FedEx. He says he sold this company last year and now works part-time as an IT consultant.
Calamari volunteers as a Eucharistic minister and usher at Our Lady of Good Counsel and participates in community events through the Knights of Columbus in town.
He ran unopposed in the Republican primary alongside incumbent councilmembers Daisy Velez and Tom Sears.
Stamatopoulos, a mortgage loan officer who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, says in campaign materials that she is a second-generation graduate of Westwood Regional High School and a lifelong member of the community. Her campaign emphasizes her local roots and commitment to preserving the township as a place where families thrive, and notes that the township hasn’t had a Democratic mayor in 48 years, pledging to change the trend in 2025.
Morgan, a former Republican councilwoman and township resident since 2006, is a registered nurse and healthcare administrator, and coordinates the township’s recreational cheerleading program.
Moschella, a retired Cliffside Park police lieutenant, owns a security services company. He moved to the township in 2017 with his family. He last ran for council as a Democrat, in 2019, and is campaigning on a platform focused on public safety, responsible governance, and ensuring affordability for township families.
Colleagues and rivals
The 2021 mayoral race was among the closest in recent township history. After provisional ballots were counted, Calamari defeated DeSena 1,846 to 1,797. Voter turnout for the election was 52.2%, with 4,094 ballots cast from 7,841 registered voters.
In the years since, DeSena and Calamari have frequently clashed over township issues, particularly fiscal policy and land use.
During their recent campaign, DeSena and his council allies, Steven Cascio and Michael Ullman, pledged to cut the municipal budget by 10%. Calamari criticized the effort, then slammed them for failing to meet their goal. DeSena countered that the administration did little to help identify potential cuts. Cascio later persuaded colleagues to trim certain line items during budget hearings.
Their disagreements have also played out over property acquisitions, including the former Washington Township Swim & Recreation Club, the former Charlie Brown’s restaurant at 95 Linwood Ave., and the 3.2-acre site at 450 Pascack Road.
Pascack Press will continue covering the race for mayor, council, and other key contests, including the gubernatorial matchup between Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill. Coverage of local school board races is planned for August, with continued election reporting through November.
— Some background by John Snyder