Meet the father and daughter running for office together

Joseph Delaney said he will need help in his goals of spurring redevelopment in Garfield and keeping taxes low. Who better than his daughter, Erin?

GARFIELD -- Erin Delaney's father has been on the Garfield Council since she was 10 years old.

Joseph and Erin Delaney are running as father and daughter for Garfield council seats. (Courtesy of Erin Delaney) 

Some kids might not like their parent taking time away to be a politician, but she loved tagging along to community events.

She was 17 when she first began considering going into politics herself. The town was considering laying off police officers, including her brother, a sergeant. Delaney spoke about her concerns in front of the council, including her father, Joseph Delaney III.

Now, the two are running together as father and daughter in the first November election in Garfield history. All five council seats are up for election.

Politics is something of a family business. While he never served in public office, Joseph Delaney's father was a campaign manager for former Sen. Bill Bradley.

"As a young kid, I remember my father giving hot dog rallies for the senator and my job was to put bumper stickers on cars," Joseph Delaney said.

However, the politics bug did not transmit to his four older children--only to Erin, who describes herself as the most outspoken of the Delaney children. Erin Delaney, at 25, has not served in public office before--she once applied unsuccessfully to fill a vacant board of education seat--but has served with various community organizations, including the Garfield Stigma Free Committee, which she founded.

Erin Delaney said her father's experience has been crucial during the campaign.

"It's been very enjoyable," Joseph Delaney said. "I've been in many elections before, but now I get to run with somebody young, enthusiastic and educated."

If they're both elected, Erin Delaney said it would be easy to work together. They already have a rapport, and know how to work through their disagreements.

Joseph Delaney will need help in his goals of spurring redevelopment in Garfield and keeping taxes low. Erin Delaney said she hopes to help more families get involved in the community.

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If Erin Delaney is elected, she will be the youngest person on the council, beating out her 56-year-old father, the current youngest member.

"I definitely want to see some fresh new faces," Joseph Delaney said.

The Delaneys are not the first political family in Garfield. Councilman Frank Calandriello and his father, Frank Calandriello Sr., were the first father and son to serve together on a municipal government in New Jersey.

Joseph Delaney said he hasn't gone to Calandriello for advice, though. The two longtime politicians often butt heads.

"Me and him don't agree on certain things," he said.

For him, just running with his daughter is a win.

"Just the fact that my 25-year-old daughter wants to hang out with her dad, that's great," he said.