Politics

WINNING SMILES – Board of Education member Nick DeMeglio with Board member-elect Jennifer Welch during the wait for school board election results in the Township Council chamber on November 4. (Updated as of 11:38 p.m. November 19.) Democratic Township Council incumbents won re-election, and the “Choose All Three” Board of Education slate swept their race in the November 4 general …

NO KINGS – Some of the estimated 1,500 people who came to the township to participate in the No Kings 2 rally at the Cultural Arts Gazebo. An estimated 1,500 people from the township and elsewhere packed the green at the Franklin Township Cultural Gazebo October 18 for the “No Kings Day 2” rally. The rally was one of reportedly …

Groups on opposite ends of the political spectrum will share the same space on October 18, and both are promising the coexistence will be peaceful. Franklin Township Indivisible, Somerset County Indivisible, and other groups are planning to participate in the nationwide No Kings series of rallies by holding one from noon to 2 p.m. at the Franklin Township Cultural Arts …

SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATES – School board candidates who attended the October 8 candidate forum. Clockwise from upper left: Jennifer Welch, Clara Wilson, Martin Czebotar, and Meher Rafiq. Charter schools, the school district’s goals, and the expanding District budget were some of the topics covered October 8 in a Board of Education candidate forum, held at Franklin Middle School – Sampson …

Six candidates – three of whom are running on a named slate – have filed for the three open Board of Education seats. The decision by incumbent Board members Ardaman Singh, Nancy LaCorte and Walter Jackson not to seek re-election paved the way for three new members to join the 9-member Board. Running on the “Choose All Three” slate – …

About 100 people gathered at the Township’s Cultural Arts Gazebo on July 17 to take part in a nationwide national day of action in memory of the late Congressman John Lewis. Called “Good Trouble Lives On,” the rally was reportedly one of 1,500 held around the country to protest the policies of the Trump Administration. Organized by Somerset County Indivisible, …

READY TO COUNT – Ballot tabulations being dropped off to the municipal building on June 10. Local incumbent candidates appear to be leading in their races for their party’s nominations, according to unofficial results from the 2025 primary election on June 10. Township Councilman Carl Wright (D-Ward 4) and state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17) were the only candidates facing primary …

Four candidates for Township Council ward seats have been endorsed by the Franklin Township Republican Municipal Committee. The candidates are Ward 1: Chris Lezny, Ward 2: Jan Brant, Ward 3: Sophia Georges, and Ward 4: Benjamin Guy III. The Committee is not fielding a candidate for Ward 5. “These four candidates represent the best of Franklin Township — experienced professionals, …

RUNNING AGAIN – State Assemblyman Joe Danielsen recently announced that he is running for re-election. (File photo.) State Assemblyman and township resident Joe Danielsen and his running mate recently announced their re-election campaign. Danielsen, a Democrat, represents the 17th Legislative District in the lower House, along with Assemblyman Kevin Egan. The 17th Legislative District is comprised of Franklin, New Brunswick, …

TURNING IN TALLIES – Poll workers line up to turn in their tally sheets at the Township Municipal Building. From there, the sheets were catalogued and sent to the Somerset County Clerk’s office. Two incumbents and a newcomer were voted onto the Board of Education on November 5, and the two incumbents for Somerset County Board of Commissioners won re-election. …