Simmons, Ramirez, Small Lead Paterson School Board Race
Early returns show three candidates ahead in the eight-candidate field for three Paterson Board of Education seats.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Elections
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Vote counting began Tuesday night after polls closed at 8 p.m. in the Paterson Board of Education election, with Kenneth Simmons, Joel Ramirez, and Christopher Small holding the top three positions in preliminary returns. The race remains undecided as additional ballots are still to be counted.
Why it matters
Voters are choosing three members of the Paterson Board of Education, and the three candidates with the most votes will win seats once results are finalized. Because Small leads Mohammed H. Rashid by only seven votes, the final order remains uncertain until all ballots are tallied.
Preliminary returns show Simmons at 20.09%, Ramirez at 18.88%, and Small at 17.17% of 14,591 total votes, with Rashid just seven votes behind Small at 17.12%. Final counts for the remaining ballots have not yet been reported, so the outcome for the third seat is unresolved.
The players
Kenneth Simmons
Simmons is a candidate in the Paterson Board of Education race who currently holds the top position in preliminary returns.
Joel Ramirez
Ramirez is a candidate in the Paterson Board of Education race who is currently in second place in preliminary returns.
Christopher Small
Small is a candidate in the Paterson Board of Education race who is currently in third place in preliminary returns, seven votes ahead of Mohammed H. Rashid.
The details
Polls closed at 8 p.m. Tuesday and counting began that night in the eight-candidate race. Write-in candidates received 63 votes, and Banita Herndon, Madelen Lemoine, and Sumaidah Ramadan trail the leaders in the preliminary tally.
Timeline
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Polls closed at 8 p.m. and vote counting began.
Political Context
Paterson's school board race is decided by the three highest vote totals in a multi-candidate field, a structure common to New Jersey local board elections. Because the margin between the third and fourth place candidates is only seven votes, the outcome illustrates how narrowly local seats can be decided.
Paterson residents will see three new board members seated once results are certified, and those members will shape district decisions. Voters should check the official tally when counting finishes, since final positions may still change.
The takeaway
Local school board races can be decided by very small vote margins, so every ballot counted can affect who takes a seat. Readers interested in the outcome should follow the final certified results.
Further reading
For more on local races, see Elections coverage across New Jersey.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Paterson Times.
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