Plainfield has three City Council seats scheduled for election in 2027. Mayor Adrian Mapp says he also plans to seek another term as chair of the Plainfield Democratic City Committee, while he expects newly appointed Third Ward Councilwoman Robin Bright to run for the council seat. Mapp made the announcement at Democratic headquarters.
Mapp became committee chair in 2015, two years after winning his first mayoral term in 2013, TAPinto reported. He has faced challenges to his leadership and said he expects opponents to field candidates again, though he did not identify any potential rivals.
Bright's Path From Appointment to the Ballot
Charles McRae's death on September 11, 2026, left the Third Ward seat vacant. McRae had been re-elected to a term beginning January 1, 2025, and scheduled to end December 31, 2028, according to mycentraljersey.com. The Plainfield Democratic City Committee recommended Bright, Lynn Anderson Person and Jordan Russell for the vacancy. At a special meeting on September 30, Bright was unanimously nominated and sworn in that day.
Bright's appointment can last through the end of 2027. Because McRae died mid-term, voters will choose someone in 2027 to serve the remainder of his term; that winner would then stand for a full four-year term beginning in 2028, according to TAPinto.
A seven-member elected council
The City of Plainfield describes its City Council as a seven-member elected body that serves as the city's legislative body and enacts municipal laws through ordinances and resolutions, according to the City of Plainfield.
Three Seats, One Busy Election Year
The other 2027 council contests are for the First and Fourth Ward at-large seat, held by Council President Julienne Cherry, and the Second Ward seat, held by Councilwoman Darcella Sessomes. TAPinto reported that neither Cherry nor Sessomes attended Mapp's announcement at Democratic headquarters.
Councilors Tracey Hockaday, Charles Graham and Bright attended the Tuesday gathering. Councilors Charles Briggs-Jones and Rasheed Wyatt were at a separate Central Avenue event celebrating the victory of a Board of Education slate endorsed by Wyatt. TAPinto reported that Wyatt ran unopposed for his own council reelection and won another term.
How the Committee Fits Into County Politics
The Plainfield Democratic City Committee has 68 members: two representatives elected by local Democrats from each of Plainfield's 34 districts. Its website identifies Mapp as both committee chair and mayor. Committee members also serve on the Union County Democratic Committee, where they vote to elect a county chair and select candidates for countywide elections, according to TAPinto.
The Union County Democratic Committee extended its members' terms from two years to four in 2023, a change that altered the timing of local party politics, New Jersey Globe reported. TAPinto describes Plainfield Democratic City Committee elections as a midterm measure of support between mayoral primaries. Mapp told attendees that the coming season would require substantial work.
