Politics

Calling it a “new milestone to help the community,” a founder of the Masjid-e-Ali Mosque is applauding the decision to move three polling locations to the Cedar Grove Lane house of worship. Somerset County Board of Electors on March 9 approved the requested move to the mosque of polling locations for voting districts 14, 15 from the Quailbrook Senior Citizens …

SOMERVILLE – Franklin Township representatives were among those taking center stage at a Feb. 4 rally and candlelight vigil here protesting Pres. Donald Trump’s immigration restrictions and plan to build a wall on the Mexican border. Those from the township who spoke from the steps of the Historic Courthouse were Mayor Phil Kramer, the Rev. Tiina Nummela of the Robert …

Township residents joined hundreds of thousands of women and men in “Women’s Marches” in cities across the country and the world on Jan. 21. The main march was held in Washington, D.C., and so-called sister marches were held elsewhere, including Trenton and New York City.

Township resident Robert Quinn has announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for one of the two state Assembly seats in the 17th District. This would be Quinn’s first attempt at running for public office.

Township resident Daryl Kipnis will kick off his 2017 state Senate campaign with a Jan. 5, 2017 reception at The Imperia, 1714 east Ave. Kipnis, an attorney, hopes to win the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent and presumptive Democratic nominee state Sen. Bob Smith for the 17th District seat, which represents Franklin, Milltown, New Brunswick, North Brunswick and Piscataway.

The U.S Congress’s Black Caucus is likely to take a more “in your face” approach starting next year in dealing with any Republican attempts to roll back Progressive gains, an audience at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens was told Dec. 10. The speaker was U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-12), who appeared at a town hall meeting at the …

The final tallies of the Nov. 8 write-in votes were released this week, and they show that 543 write-in votes were cast, with the bulk of them going to the two late-starting Board of Education candidates. Andre Fryson and Kunal Lakhia announced their candidacies for the school board on Facebook, after well after the filing deadline had passed.

Township Councilman Charles Onyejiaka successfully defended his position and two incumbents and a newcomer were elected to the Board of Education on Nov. 8. School board incumbents Nancy LaCorte and Christine Danielsen won re-election, and newcomer Ardaman Singh won the seat being vacated by board member Julia Presley, who did not seek re-election.

A printer’s error led to the names of Township Council candidates being left off the ballots sent to some residents, but that problem should be rectified this weekend. That’s the word from Somerset County Clerk Brett Radi, who said the affected ballots were sent to residents who live in District 24, which is part of Ward 3.