Portuguese-American Alberto G. Santos ended a 23-year career as mayor of the US city of Kearny after being confirmed in New Jersey’s Superior Court, continuing a life devoted to public service.
Speaking to Lusa, Alberto G. Santos – the third Portuguese-American to serve on the New Jersey state court level – said that “it was the honor of a lifetime” to serve as mayor of Kearny for 23 years, but evaluated that the time has come to resume his career in law, which he started with the support of a scholarship awarded by the region’s Portuguese community.
“I have been a lawyer since 1990 and had a career in law before my political career. I think it is time to return to my origins, but now as a judge, which will be the continuation of my public service,” said he. .
At age 57, Alberto G. Santos believes he leaves Kearny better than he found her in November 1999 when he was elected mayor. Now his goal is similar to the career in the judiciary he will embrace: “I want to be the best judge possible”.
For more than two decades as leader of Kearny, a community on the outskirts of Newark with a population of about 40,000, Santos has not forgotten the various critical moments he lived through, such as the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in Manhattan, just over eight years ago. kilometers away. away from his city and which has killed several of its citizens, hurricanes, a strong recession in 2008 and 2009 and, more recently, the covid-19 pandemic.
“But we have overcome these challenges and I think I am leaving the city much better than I found it, not only in terms of financial reserves, but also in terms of public services and the development of areas that needed to be explored. The city better than we found it should always be the goal of every government official,” he defended.
Alberto G. Santos was born in Venezuela to parents from Aveiro district and when he was 5 years old, they emigrated to the United States.
He received a law degree in 1990 from New York University School of Law, after attending the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington DC.
In November 1999, aged 33 and a candidate for the Democratic party, he was elected ‘mayor’ of Kearny, taking office in January 2000, after a stint as councilman.
According to Fernando Santos, author of “Os Portugueses em New Jersey,” he is the longest-serving mayor in Kearny history.
Already on June 1 of this year, he was nominated by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy to the New Jersey Superior Court in Hudson County, and on June 26 of the same month, the nomination was unanimously confirmed in the Senate.
For Lusa, the politician and now magistrate recognized the importance of the support of the Portuguese community during his journey.
“When they heard of my confirmation to the court, they sent me many congratulations. People realize that this was the best decision of my life, even if it was very difficult to make. I am very grateful, because without the Portuguese community I would it was going to be very difficult,” said Alberto G. Santos.
“When I went to university at the age of 18, part of my education was paid for with a scholarship that the Portuguese in New Jersey created for students of Portuguese descent. Without that scholarship I would not have been able to go to the schools going where I went (. .. ) I am immensely grateful and hope to continue to show that Portuguese-Americans have the skills to reach these kinds of posts,” he concluded.
Also eligible for the New Jersey state judiciary is Portuguese-American Ana Esteves, Newark municipal judge, author Fernando Santos told Lusa.
Source: DN
