Rockaway Borough's council is getting a political makeover. Democrats Cliff Dawkins and Angelo Natale have won the municipality's two available council seats, defeating Republican incumbents Melissa Burnside and Patrick McDonald.
According to New Jersey Hills Media Group, Dawkins pulled in 1,257 votes and Natale received 1,290. Burnside and McDonald trailed with 1,044 and 1,029 votes respectively. The results were reported by the Morris County Clerk's Office.
Dawkins and Natale won both council seats contested in Tuesday's election.
How Rockaway Borough's Council Works
Rockaway Borough's municipal government is made up of an elected mayor and six elected council members, according to the Borough of Rockaway. Two of those six seats come up for election every year, each carrying a three-year term, so Tuesday's contest represented a third of the full council.
Republicans had held the two contested seats before the election.
Results Still Considered Unofficial
As with races across the county, the Rockaway Borough tallies are not yet final. The official results for the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election will be available on Dec. 3 after they are certified and sent to the Secretary of State, according to NorthJersey.com.
The flip in Rockaway Borough echoes a broader trend just across the municipal line. In last year's election, Democrats won four of six Township Council races in neighboring Rockaway Township, according to unofficial results reported at the time by The Citizen. Whether this year's borough results hold once certified will become clear once the county finalizes the count next month.
