MDCC Montclair Dems
Meet the Montclair Dems, AKA the Montclair Democratic County Committee (MDCC). We are the official organization representing the Democratic Party in Montclair.
Our purpose is to identify and support Democratic candidates for local, county, and state offices. Through our grassroots mobilizations, we advocate for progressive issues on the local, state, and national level.
The heart and soul of the Montclair Dems is our volunteers. Our volunteers come from the greater Montclair/West Essex Area. Over the years, our volunteers have achieved more than 1 million door knocks and voter calls; including 250,000+ direct voter contacts, 5,000 new voter registrations and thousands of volunteers trained.
We are proud that Montclair has grown into one of the most progressive communities in America. We believe that elections have consequences. We are committed to volunteer training and organizing voter participation to protect and expand our progressive values of diversity, inclusion, and equality. Our “Montclair Dems Cares” initiatives are providing support to Montclair area organizations on the frontline supporting our community during these challenging times.
We created this platform to enable our members to safely engage in volunteer activities in the new Covid-19 environment. There are many ways to get involved and make a difference in our community and our nation. If you are an existing member, we thank you for your support. If you are new to the Montclair Dems, we look forward to working with you.
We are glad you decided to visit our website and we hope you will be inspired to join us in our efforts to support progressive candidates at all levels of government.
Brendan W. Gill
Chairman
Tanya Poteat
Vice-Chair
chairman
Brendan W. Gill
Brendan W. Gill is serving as Chairman of the MDCC since 2006. He was elected Essex County District 5 Freeholder in 2011 and Freeholder At-Large in 2014. He was appointed Freeholder Vice President in 2015 and Freeholder President since 2018. He was sworn-in as President of the New Jersey Association of Counties (NJAC) in 2019. Brendan Gill most recently managed New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy’s 2017 election campaign and served as a Senior Aide and Campaign Manager for U.S. Senator Cory Booker. He served as State Director for U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg from 2007 until his passing in 2013. Previously, he was District Director for U.S. Congressmen Bill Pascrell and Steve Rothman and Communications Director for the New Jersey Department of Transportation. He is an active member of his community and has been recognized for his leadership and public service. In 2017, he was named to the NJBIZ Power 100 list and named Political Operative of the Year for 2016 and 2017 by Insider NJ. In 2014 and 2015, he was named New Jersey’s Most Powerful Elected Official by PolitickerNJ.
Vice chair
Tanya Poteat
Tanya L. Poteat is the Vice Chair of the Montclair Democratic County Committee. For over two decades she has been active in the committee engaged in voter registration, education and participation efforts. She believes that every persons voice and vote matters. Tanya is an educator by profession and she is actively engaged in her community.
Treasurer
Christine Russo
Christine Russo has been serving as the Montclair Democratic County Committee Treasurer for over six years, and as an Essex County Election Board worker. In the past, Christine served as CWA Local 1020 Treasurer, while she worked for 30 years at Bell Atlantic / Verizon. She also served as Montclair Democratic Committee Secretary and Rockcliffe Co-op Board Member. Christine has managed several successful election campaigns for her husband, Bob Russo, current Councilmember and former Mayor of Montclair. Christine is currently employed in part time positions as the Personnel Manager at The Richfield Regency Caterers in Verona, and as the Operations Director at the BGill Group. Christine is also currently a bookkeeper for the Montclair State University Adjunct Faculty Union, AFT Local 6025.
Recording Secretary
Elsie Barrick
Elsie is a second generation Montclair resident and graduate of Montclair High School. She started her real estate career in 1986 after completing a Master’s Degree in Consumer Economics at Montclair State University and working as an adjunct professor. Since then, Elsie has been a full-time sales agent and licensed Real Estate Broker specializing in residential real estate all over Essex County and parts of Passaic, Bergen, Union and Sussex counties. Elsie is a NJ licensed real estate instructor. Well known throughout the community as a generous volunteer and as a very knowledgeable professional. Elsie embodies commitment to community and provides the best in service and integrity; organizations and affiliations include First Montclair House, Montclair Senior Housing, Aging in Montclair (AIM), National Council of Negro Women, Inc, Montclair Section.
Corresponding Secretary
Cary Chevat
Cary Chevat is one of the co-founders of BluewaveNJ. For over 20 years, he has been involved with grassroots activists in NJ. Our efforts have been responsible for over 1 million door knocks/voter calls including over 250,000 direct voter contacts, registered 5000 new voters, trained thousands of volunteers and has personally arranged for 138 Buses for political action. Professionally he represents Sports and Entertainment Venues and Events for Corporate Sponsorship and promotions.