Sayreville’s first new mayor in 20 years is first female mayor in 50 years

SAYREVILLE – Sayreville’s first new mayor in 20 years and first female mayor in more than 50 years has officially taken office to begin serving the borough.

At the Borough Council’s Jan. 1 reorganization meeting, Victoria Kilpatrick was sworn into a four-year term as the mayor of Sayreville after emerging victorious in the Nov. 5 election. Oaths of office were also administered to the election’s winning Borough Council candidates, Michele Cassidy Maher and Donna Roberts, who were sworn into three-year terms on the governing body.

As Kilpatrick was a member of the council prior to her election, her council seat was vacated. Council members will appoint a resident who is a member of Kilpatrick’s Democratic Party to a one-year term in the seat.

Kilpatrick is the borough’s first mayor since the departure of longtime official Kennedy O’Brien, who did not seek re-election in 2019. Having held office for 20 years, O’Brien is the longest-serving mayor in Sayreville’s history.

Prior to 2020, O’Brien was the only Republican member of the governing body. With his departure, Democrats will hold the mayor’s office for the first time in 20 years. Republicans claimed one council seat in the 2019 election following Roberts’ victory, while the remaining five seats are held by Democrats.

Since its incorporation, Kilpatrick is the second female mayor of Sayreville. Peggy Kerr, the first woman to be elected mayor in the borough, took office in 1968, with 52 years separating Sayreville’s two female mayors.

After thanking her family, Kilpatrick noted that Kerr was elected alongside three female running mates for council in 1967, leading to four women being seated on the dais. Like 1968, Kilpatrick pointed out that four women were once again on the dais in 2020 – herself, Maher, Roberts and Council President Mary Novak.