Passaic County Sample Ballot & Voter Guide 2026

Orlando Cruz is president of the Greater Paterson Chamber of Commerce and previously served as executive director of the Downtown Paterson Special Improvement District, per New Jersey Globe reporting. A Paterson native who attended Eastside High School, he began his career as a professional DJ before rising to chief operations officer at a Northeast entertainment company, per TAPinto Paterson. He was sworn in as Passaic County Commissioner in 2023. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Orlando Cruz.

Nick Veliky was appointed to the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners in 2026 to fill the vacancy left by John Bartlett's resignation, per the West Milford Messenger. He works in marketing and business development, previously served as president of the Clifton Democratic Club, and is an ordained permanent deacon in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Nick Veliky.

Ed Leonard serves as Council President of the Wanaque Borough Council, where he chairs committees including Ordinances, Public Works, Sewer, and Veterans, per the borough's official website. He was selected as the Passaic County Republican Organization's nominee for county commissioner after original primary winner Daniel Sagan withdrew from the race, per New Jersey Globe. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Ed Leonard.

John Rodriguez is a former law enforcement official and a career New Jersey Transit locomotive engineer, per New Jersey Globe reporting on the Passaic County commissioner race. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for John Rodriguez.

Aleksandra Tasic is an attorney and a Haledon Councilwoman, per New Jersey Globe reporting. She was selected by the Passaic County Democratic Committee's screening committee as its nominee to fill the unexpired County Commissioner term left vacant by John Bartlett's resignation. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Aleksandra Tasic.

Marko Kopec appears on the November 3, 2026 ballot for Passaic County Commissioner (Unexpired Term), per the county elections office's certified candidate list. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Marko Kopec.

Zoila Cassanova is a former attorney with the New York Supreme Court's Criminal Division in Queens and the Bronx, per New Jersey Globe. She was first elected Passaic County Surrogate in 2021 and is seeking a second five-year term. As Surrogate, she has hosted a free guardianship-application clinic and an annual disability-inclusion event for county families, per an official county news release. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official roster and election filing is the only verifiable source for Zoila Cassanova.

Jessica Sprague is a shareholder at Jardim Meisner Salmon Sprague & Susser specializing in family and matrimonial law, and is certified as a Matrimonial Attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court, per her law firm's attorney profile. She served as the 100th President of the Passaic County Bar Association and currently serves as general counsel for the Passaic County Regular Republican Organization. She holds a B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law. No campaign website was found as of September 8, 2026; the official election filing is the only verifiable source for Jessica Sprague.