Trenton’s run-off races to the finish line

On December 3rd, Trenton’s South Ward will hold a run-off election to determine their district council member. In the initial election on November 5th, none of the three candidates could secure a majority vote. The candidates battling it out for the top spot are Trenton natives, incumbent Councilwoman Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg, and Damian G. Malave. 

Both Jenna Figueroa Kettenburg and Damian G. Malave graduated through the Trenton school system and have continued to live in the community through their adult lives. They both identify the problems that the South Ward faces, and Figueroa Kettenburg referred to her district as “more or less the forgotten ward.” “We don’t have the high school, we don’t have Cadwalader Park, we don’t have Downtown Trenton, so a lot of residents don’t feel heard,” says Figueroa Kettenburg. “We have an eclectic group of residents in the South Ward. It’s not just Latinos it’s not just Hispanic: it’s Latino, Black, and White. We have people who have been here for decades upon decades sad that they’ve watched their neighborhoods deteriorate. My constituents more or less just want to be heard. They want to know that somebody is listening, that somebody is advocating for them.”

According to his campaign site, Malave is a self-described family man with strong ties to his community. He co-founded the South Ward Neighborhood Association and is involved in grassroots and cultural organizations in the South Ward. 

Per his site, Malave’s platform centers around the motto of “security, schools, and streets.” If elected, he plans to improve reportedly low response times to 911 calls, stating that he wants to be the “escalation point person when urgent matters cannot afford slow responses.” In terms of education, he plans to serve as an active representative for the South Ward’s schools and champion projects such as improving the busing situation for students. Malave’s platform around the conditions of the South Ward’s streets involves “holding the city accountable for poor waste management practices.” He references the need for improvement of roads, management of traffic, trash pile-ups, and vacant buildings. These points can all be found on the “issues” page of his website. 

Councilwoman Figueroa Kettenburg is running on her record from her two-year term in conjunction with the work she plans to continue if re-elected. She is proud of what she and her constituents have accomplished in collaboration with the city departments. Visit her website for more information on her campaign and past works.   

Some accomplishments Figueroa Kettenburg spoke on included her animal breeding ordinance that is meant to slow the rate of animal homelessness in Trenton by requiring permits for all prospective breeders, championing the project labor agreement to keep city projects under the contracts of city unions, and increasing fines for improperly discarded trash. She also successfully advocated for the 23 South Ward streets that have been re-paved during her term, added the recently completed Orange Street Park to the city’s park rehabilitation project, and worked to enact traffic calming measures that included adding more speed bumps.

Figeroa Kettenburg is also excited to have supported the upcoming re-opening of the Skelton Library: a library she grew up going to but that she says has been closed for over a decade. Mercer County has agreed to help with the re-opening of both the library and South Ward’s senior center to offer important resources to its residents.

November 5th was not the first time that these two candidates have faced each other in an election. Figueroa Kettenburg won against Malave in 2022, and since then he has taken her to court twice to challenge her use of her full legal name. Malave has publicly challenged his opponent’s motives for using her late biological father’s name. Figueroa Kettenburg, who has used her father’s surname, Figueroa, as her unofficial middle name on business cards and other communications throughout her adult life, legally took her father’s name upon his deathbed request shortly after he passed away. 

 “It had nothing to do with utilizing the name to secure votes or appeal to a certain audience at all, and I never ran on being a Latina candidate. I ran on being Jenna. I ran on my merits, my qualifications, my background, my personal experiences. And that’s exactly what it’s about: I’m honoring my father,” Figueroa Kettenburg said regarding Malave’s allegations. 

All polling locations for the runoff election will be the same as for the general election, as will be the mail-in drop-off locations. Further information about polling locations can be found here.

Figueroa Kettenburg expressed hope that voters will “tune out the noise and just really pay attention to the qualifications and the place of care [each candidate is] coming from and how they want to represent us, how they want to be able to communicate across the board, how they want to communicate locally, and with the county, and with the state, and with the federal government on our behalf”.

About her own platform and tactics, Figueroa Kettenburg said, “I’m always going to run on honesty, truth, and transparency, and I know that sounds cliché, but it’s the truth. I’m here for the people. I’m here to do the right thing.”

Damian G. Malave did not respond to requests for comment.