Township Councilman Regan Resigns To Run For Freeholder

Township Councilman Brian Regan announced at the July 14 council meeting that he will be resigning his seat as of July 18.

Township Councilman Brian Regan (D-At Large) announced his resignation at the July 14 council meeting.

Regan, who has been a councilman for eight years, said he was resigning because he is running for a seat on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

“Someone who sits in an elected position should not run for a higher office and sit in that position,’ Regan said. “As you campaign, you’re being paid by residents for a job you’re not doing because you’re campaigning.”

Regan’s resignation becomes effective on July 18. The township’s Democratic Party will now have to submit three candidates to the council for its consideration to fill the term, which expires on Dec. 31.

Regan is running with fellow township resident Patrick O’Connell for the two Freeholders seats. The pair face Republican incumbents Patrick Scaglione and Mark Caliguire.

Although it was not framed as such, Regan’s comment about not running for a higher office while still keeping an elected seat may have been a jab at Councilman Phil Kramer (D-Ward 3), who is running for mayor. Kramer’s council term does not expire until Dec. 31, 2017.

Earlier this year, Kramer defeated Regan in the township’s Democratic Party’s selection for a mayoral candidate.

Kramer had no reaction to Regan’s comment.

Regan said it has been “an honor to serve the residents of this wonderful town” as a councilman. “I wish you all the best.”

“I always tried to look at it as though I was a steward of this seat,” he said. “I don’t believe I owned this seat.”

Regan specifically thanked Township Clerk Ann Marie McCarthy, township attorney Louis Rainone and township manager Robert Vornlocker.

To the rest of the council, he said, “I thank you all up here, I thank you for the eight years.”

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