Vineland nurse Tanisha Gomez enters Cumberland County commissioner race

Tanisha Gomez is trying to translate years of community service in Vineland into a countywide campaign for Cumberland County commissioner, entering a race that will help shape how the board handles courts, law enforcement, roads, education and social services for 154,152 residents across 502.19 square miles.

Gomez, a nurse by trade and a longtime community advocate, said the race has pushed her outside her comfort zone, but she is not new to listening closely to residents’ concerns. That background sets her apart in a field that already includes established county figures and gives her campaign a service-based profile at a moment when voters are weighing whether county government is delivering on basic functions.

The Cumberland County Board of County Commissioners is a seven-member board elected at large, which means Gomez would be asking voters from Vineland to Bridgeton, Millville and Commercial Township to back her. The county says those commissioners are responsible for core functions that affect daily life, including courts and law enforcement, education, conducting elections, roads and social services. County government also says its main building is at 164 W. Broad St. in Bridgeton, where regular commissioner meetings are held unless otherwise publicized.

The timing puts Gomez into the middle of an active county political cycle. The county clerk’s 2026 primary candidate list includes her as a Democratic county commissioner candidate, and the key election date is June 2, 2026. The county’s public meeting calendar also shows a commissioner board meeting on May 26, 2026, underscoring that the race is unfolding alongside ongoing budget and policy decisions.

Gomez is entering a board that has seen recent leadership changes. Sandra Taylor is listed as commissioner director with a current term through December 2026, while Yolanda Garcia Balicki began a three-year term on January 2, 2026 after being elected in November 2025. County records also show that James Sauro became commissioner director and Art Marchand deputy director at the 2025 reorganization meeting on January 2, 2025. Those shifts matter because the next commissioner will be joining a board already defined by turnover and changing leadership.

Issue-driven conversation around the race has already centered on EMS, data centers, transparency, human services and the jail, themes that put Gomez squarely in the middle of county spending and priorities. With county human services, the Mental Health & Addictions Board and overdose-prevention programming already part of the county’s public responsibilities, Gomez’s health-care background may help her connect with voters looking for a commissioner focused on service delivery rather than political routine.