LINDEN, NJ — When President Donald Trump squares off against Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the presidential election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, Edward Kologi will be ready to take part in this historic event. Kologi is one of 538 people who will cast their votes in the Electoral College to decide the next president of the United States.
“I was born and raised in Linden,” Kologi, who was chosen as one of the Democratic Party’s electors in the upcoming presidential election, said on Thursday, Oct. 1. “My father was an active Democrat, and all the kids in the area started out young in distributing literature, putting up signs and the like. I became a 3rd Ward Democratic councilman at 27 in 1985 and served for three years, at which time I was appointed city attorney, a position I held for 22 years, until 2010, when I retired.
“In 2007, I became city Democratic chairman, a position I held for a year and a half,” he continued. “I have also served as associate counsel to the Union County Democratic Committee. My main law office, Kologi-Simitz, is still on Wood Avenue, and over the years we have represented numerous Democratic candidates in various election-related matters. I have lived in Brielle since 2008 but come up to our Linden office several times a week. I have been a practicing litigation attorney for 37 years, much of it involving public entities and officials.”
Kologi emphasized that politics always figured prominently in his family.
“If you were raised in Linden, a Democratic stronghold, it was likely your family had some involvement in politics, which was passed on to succeeding generations,” Kologi said. “Someone once told me it was better to be a kingmaker, rather than the king, and I have thoroughly enjoyed providing whatever assistance I was able to ensure that good, qualified candidates entered public office.”
Kologi did not mince words regarding what he thought of the current president.
“I am not prone to hyperbole, but I sincerely believe Donald Trump is the greatest single threat to democracy that this country has ever faced,” he said. “He has no respect for the law, our institutions, including the court system, or just about anything else. I realize many may disagree with me, but his 15 minutes are up and it is time to restore dignity and competence to the presidency. We have a litany of problems, but Trump is not the answer.”
Recognizing the importance of being an elector, according to our Constitution, Kologi said he understood he will take an important role in a decision that will change lives.
“The Electoral College is addressed in the Constitution,” he said. “A lot of people don’t realize that, when they cast a vote for Biden or Trump, they are actually voting for a slate of electors whose names do not appear on the ballot. Electors are traditionally individuals with strong ties to their respective parties. In New Jersey, the state chairperson appoints their party’s electors every four years. Each slate has a number of electors equal to the total number of its congressmen and U.S. senators. New Jersey has a total number of 14.
“If Biden carries the state, the Democratic electors become part of the Electoral College and travel to Trenton in December to cast the actual votes, which elect the president and vice president, though this year it may be a remote process,” he continued. “This is obviously a historic event and I am honored to have been selected. I wish to thank Union County Democratic chair and state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Linden, for his support of my appointment. New Jersey has supported Democratic presidential candidates since 1992.”
As the anticipation mounts, the vote for president can sway any way. No one can predict what will happen.
“It’s obviously difficult to predict, but I believe Trump has problems,” Kologi said of his expectations for the upcoming election. “A large percentage of his win last time was due to an anti-Hillary sentiment. Things are different this year.”
Involved in New Jersey politics for decades, Kologi has come far in his political career. Having an elector in town can be a lesson for children growing up in Linden.
“I came from supportive, working-class parents who emphasized education above all else,” Kologi said. “They provided the encouragement and opportunity for me to move ahead. I don’t think the need for a sound education can be overemphasized.”