Rare council primary in Prospect Park pits incumbent against two backed by mayor

PROSPECT PARK — Three Democrats are vying for two nominations to represent their party in a race for seats on the Borough Council.

The primary election on June 4 will pit Niaz Nadim and Elizabeth Rodríguez, running as a slate, against Councilman Zack Daghstani, who was appointed to fill an unfinished term in July.

It is the first time in seven years that there is a contest between Democrats for spots on the council.

A party split is responsible for the rare competition.

Daghstani, a delivery driver, was elected to the one-year term in November. But he recently fell out of favor with Mayor Mohamed Khairullah, he said, after challenging his authority.

MANCHESTER REGIONAL: Taxes are flat under high school budget, but one town still sees big increase

After that, Daghstani said he lost the mayor’s backing for reelection. He is on the same ticket as Jerry Speziale, the public safety director in neighboring Paterson and a candidate for Passaic County sheriff.

“If I say nothing, our town’s going down,” said Daghstani, 55, of North 14th Street. “There’s a lot of corruption in our town.”

Khairullah, who is running in a Democratic primary to unseat Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. in the 9th Congressional District of New Jersey, endorsed Nadim and Rodríguez.

Recreation offerings and tax stabilization are among the areas of concern for Nadim, 39, of North 17th Street, now in his second term on the Board of Education.

He said he wants to increase public access to the soccer field at Hofstra Park. The pitch has a synthetic surface and is often rented to private entities.

“I never say I’m going to fix everything,” said Nadim, an e-commerce executive. “It’s a team effort, so I want to work with my team to fix the problems.”

Rodríguez, 31, a mother of four children under 12 and a resident of Planten Avenue, said she is also focused on improving the lives of local youth.

“For me, everything is about the community and helping them in better ways,” said Rodríguez, a school psychologist apprentice. “I care a lot about the community.”

Winners of the Democratic primary will most likely square off with a pair of former school board trustees in the general election on Nov. 5.

Maria Emma Anderson, a longtime adversary of the Khairullah camp, is teaming up with William Willemsen to capture the three-year council vacancies. They will be uncontested in a Republican primary.

Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: devencentis@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Prospect Park NJ: 3 Democrats to face off in council primary