Politics

State Assemblyman and township resident Joe Danielsen was endorsed by the Somerset County Democratic Committee in the 2023 primary for the Assembly’s 17th District. Also endorsed were Danielsen’s District 17 running mates, state Sen. Bob Smith and Assemblyman Joe Egan. Danielsen is running for his fifth full two-year term on the Assembly. He replaced former Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula in 2014 …

Alex Kharazi, leader of the township Interfaith Coalition, has been tapped by township Democrats to run for a Township Council At-Large seat. (File Photo). A political newcomer and three incumbents will carry the banner for township Democrats in the June 6 primaries for Mayor and At-Large Township Council members. Leading the ticket will be Mayor Phil Kramer, who is seeking …

WILL NOT RUN – Township Councilwoman Crystal Pruitt announced at the February 28 Council meeting that she will not seek a second full term on the governing body. Citing the travel demands of her job as the reason behind her decision, Township Councilwoman Crystal Pruitt announced February 28 that she would not run for re-election this November. Pruitt, a Democrat …

ON POWER LIST – Former Township Councilwoman Shanel Robinson is included in the 2023 edition of InsiderNJ’s African-American Power List. Nine people who either live in Franklin Township or are connected to the Eight Villages are included in InsiderNJ’s 2023 African-American Power List. InsiderNJ is “a nonpartisan website dedicated to political news in the state of New Jersey,” according to …

Election workers bring voting machine tapes to the municipal building. The three Board of Education incumbents were victorious, and the public question concerning energy aggregation was passed in the November 8 election, according to the final results certified by the Somerset County Clerk. In the school board election, Walter Jackson led all candidates with 10,693 votes, Nancy LaCorte came in …

The township Republican Party leadership is, left to right, Robert Petersen, 2nd Vice Chair; Bob Lacorte, Chair; Lori Van Dyke-McGregor, Secretary; Vice Chair Beverly Lawson and Secretary Pat Stanley. (Photo: Franklin GOP.) Bob Lacorte was returned to the leadership of township Republicans on June 28. Lacorte was re-elected Chairman by acclimation. Also re-elected were Vice Chair Beverly Lawson and Treasurer …

The Franklin Township Democratic Municipal Committee elected Ronald Jordan as Municipal Chair at its annual reorganization meeting on June 26 during a meeting at the Doubletree Hotel, Somerset. Also elected to serve were Linda Montgomery Williams, First Vice-Chair; Edward  Potosnak, Second Vice-Chair; Shepa Uddin, Third Vice-Chair; Damianty Chivukula, Recording Secretary, and Phyllis Beals, Corresponding Secretary.  Recently elected Democratic Committee persons …

Primary voters can vote early June 3-June 5 at the Senior/Community center, 505 DeMott Lane. The hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 3 and June 4, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on June 5, according to a press release from the Somerset County Clerk’s office. Voters can still request a mail-in-ballot at Somerset County Clerk Steve …

Mayor Phil Kramer, right, and Township Councilman Ram Anbarasan review voting results on November 2. Final tallies were updated on November 9, and included all provisional and write-in ballots. Democrats have once again swept the Township Council race with four incumbents and one newcomer being installed by Franklin voters, according to unofficial results of the November 2 election. In the …

By Robert “Kash” Kashinsky. Councilperson Vassanella, As the Ward 5 candidate, I  publicly request a debate on the issues facing Franklin Township. Voters deserve to see for themselves who is the best candidate to represent them.  The debate will be online either this Saturday, October 30, or Sunday, October 31, from 7-8 p.m. Please choose the date of your convenience. The moderators …