Team Tempesta Kicks Off West Caldwell Republican Campaign

About 175 supporters attended the Team Tempesta campaign kickoff last month at Cucina Calandra for West Caldwell Republican candidates for mayor and council.

Mayor Joseph Tempesta is seeking a fifth term in November's election and is running alongside Michael Docteroff and Kathy Canale, who are each seeking their first three-year terms.

"West Caldwell is a place my wife and I and our three children chose to live coming from Clifton five years ago because in doing our research we found that the community of West Caldwell is a great community to raise a family with a solid school system, good value for the home we purchased and fair taxes for the services we receive," Campaign Chairman Michael Crudele said at the start of the fundraising event held on May 13.

Canale graduated from Rutgers University and is a library assistant with the Caldwell-West Caldwell Board of Education. She and her husband, Gary, have three children, Madison, Claudia and Julia.

“I am running not for hope and change, but rather to keep and maintain the small community character that West Caldwell is and remains the type of Town in which our family grew up," Canale said. "I look forward to the challenges and pressures to maintain our small town character and look forward to serving the community I have lived in for almost my entire life."

Docteroff was appointed councilman in December to fill an unexpired term following the resignation of Dominick Aiello. Docteroff is a graduate of Manhattan College and is the president of M.A.D. Technologies, which offers consulting expertise for the hospitality industry. Docteroff and his wife, Stacy Veneri, have two children, Lauren and Jack.

"My experience for the past six months has been both rewarding and challenging," Docteroff said. "Being a member of the Planning and Technology Committee as well as the Recreation and Parks Committee was a good fit for me personally as both my professional background in technology and my volunteer background in coaching and as President of the Caldwell Gridiron Club made for an easy transition to help our community.

"I look forward to more positive changes for the Township in the area of technology and I look forward to working with Mayor Joe Tempesta and Kathy Canale as well as the rest of the Council Team over the next three years.”

Tempesta is serving his fourth term as West Caldwell's mayor. The Montclair State College grad is the East Hanover Township business administrator. Tempesta and his wife, Anne, have a son, Joe.

"I have been re-energized and I am excited to run with Kathy Canale and Michael Docteroff for this year’s Republican ticket for West Caldwell," Tempesta said. "We have accomplished an awful lot together but there is still much more to do. I look forward to the challenges that lie ahead and will continue to work hard to keep West Caldwell a great place to live work and raise a family."