Maria Lacca
Atlantic City Council will have its second Republican member.
Maria Lacca had a nearly 300-vote lead in the Fifth Ward, where she lost by just 44 votes last November.
“I am deeply honored by the trust the voters have placed in me," Lacca said in a statement. “I am proud of the issue-focused campaign we ran and congratulate Councilman Huq on a well-run race. Now is the time to unite and build a brighter future for our city – one that is safe, prosperous and thriving for all its hardworking, middle-class families."
Lacca lost last year to Muhammad Zia, who then was ousted from his seat after a judge found he was not living in the city.
At first, Judge Michael Blee also ordered the seat remain vacant until the election. But a quick change led to the interim appointment of Mohammed Huq at the Sept. 17 meeting.
His first vote was helped pass the controversial wind farm plan that would run through the Fifth Ward. Several residents of that ward came out at that meeting to urge council vote against the project.
Lacca will become the first Republican to represent the Fifth Ward in a generation.
She will join Sixth Ward Councilman Jesse Kurtz who has long been the only Republican on the dais.
“I ran for council because I believe in the potential of Atlantic City," Lacca said. "I believe in its wonderful people, its culture and its future. We just need a government as good as our people.
"You can feel it in the air, the political times in Atlantic City are changing,” she added.
