The Summit Democrats announced Saturday, Aug. 1, that two residents with long community ties will seek Common Council seats this fall: Liz Skoler in Ward 1 and Emily Seelaus in Ward 2.

Skoler, a media and law executive who has lived in Summit since 2008, and Seelaus, a middle school principal who grew up in the city, will face voters in the primary and general elections. The party has not yet announced specific filing deadlines or campaign events.

Skoler: Ward 1

Skoler moved to New Jersey from Manhattan in 2006 after the birth of her daughter and settled in Summit two years later. Over a three-decade career, she started as a litigator in Los Angeles, then joined the start-up team at Court TV as a producer and reporter. She spent 19 years at Viacom (now Paramount), working with Nickelodeon, MTV, and VH1, serving as Deputy General Counsel and later as Senior Vice President of Business Affairs and Co-Productions.

She later held leadership roles at MixRadio, a streaming music service owned by Nokia and Microsoft, and at Audible in Newark, where she helped launch original theater and music programming.

Locally, Skoler served on the board of the Visual Arts Center of New Jersey on Elm Street from 2012 to 2018, including as Vice Chair. She also served on the Academic and Student Affairs Committee of NJ Seeds.

Skoler has already been active on city issues. She addressed the Summit Common Council on July 15 about the collapse of the K&K Developers deal for the Old Firehouse property. In a statement published on TAPinto Summit on July 24, she proposed that the city revisit its strategy for meeting its 345-unit affordable housing obligation. "We could honor our veterans by housing them in a place where others have served," Skoler wrote, suggesting the Shunpike Veterans housing project be relocated to the Old Firehouse site.

Seelaus: Ward 2

Seelaus's parents moved to Summit in 1977 when she was a young child. She graduated from Oak Knoll School, attended Miami University of Ohio, and earned a graduate degree from Queen Mary University of London.

A 30-year educator, Seelaus began teaching at a small Catholic school on Manhattan's Lower East Side serving low-income families. She is now a middle school principal and describes herself as "an English teacher at heart and an administrator by trade."

She and her husband Jim returned to Summit to raise their daughters, Ellie and Madeline, who graduated from Brayton Elementary School and now attend Len C. Johnson Summit Middle School. Seelaus volunteers as a coach with Girls on the Run and with GRACE, the Summit nonprofit at 100 Morris Avenue that provides food and essential support services.

The party said the candidates are looking forward to listening, sharing their vision, and earning neighbors' support.

Council context

The Summit Common Council currently has three Ward 1 members: Michelle Kalmanson, Andrew Smith (sworn in July 7), and Jaclyn Lasaracina. Ward 2 is represented by Chantal Landman, Jamel Boyer, and Claire Toth. Democrats swept both ward races in November 2025, according to Patch, with Lasaracina winning Ward 1 and Landman taking Ward 2.

Which specific seats Skoler and Seelaus will contest has not been confirmed. The general election is scheduled for November 2026. No campaign events have been announced.