Politics

Brian Levine. Saying New Jersey needs a leader with new ideas, former township Mayor Brian Levine announced on January 1 that he is forming an exploratory committee to study a run for the Republican nomination for Governor. Levine, who has just completed a term as what used to be called a Somerset County Freeholder, served as a Township Councilman from …

Michael Smith. Update 3: Final certified results were posted on November 20, with no changes in the preliminary results. With 65,996 votes counted in the Board of Education race, the final results were as follows: Michael Smith: 14,108, 21.4 percent.Bill Grippo: 13,277, 20 percentNishita Desai: 13,134, 19.9 percentParul Patel: 12,052, 18 percentKaren Master: 6,006, 9 percentThomas Palczewski: 4,182, 6 percentDevakumar …

Coronavirus restrictions have resulted in changes to some in-person polling places for the November 3 election. The changes are as follows: Kingston Presbyterian Church, Griggstown Fire House, Wynnefield Club House, and Beacon Hill Club House have been changed to Griggstown Fire House, 1037 Canal Road, South of Bunker Hill, for Districts 1 through 7.Society Hill III Club House, the Board …

Eight township residents are vying for three available three-year seats on the Board of Education. That group includes all three incumbents, Michelle Shelton, Nisihita Desai and Michael T. Smith, who are running as a slate. The incumbents are running for their second terms. The challengers who filed, and who are running individually, are: William GrippoThomas R. PalczewskiParul PatelDevakumar VilluriKaren Masters …

A 20 x 30-foot tent has been erected outside the Somerset County Administration Building to help residents obtain mail-in ballots for the July 7 primary election. Submitted by the Somerset County Public Information Office. The Somerset County Clerk’s office will hold extended hours leading up to the July 7 Democratic and Republican primaries to issue vote-by-mail ballots, including being open …

Township Prosecutor Tina Jalloh will be the Democratic Party’s standard-bearer for Somerset County Surrogate in November’s election. Jalloh was part of a slate of nominees recently chosen by the Somerset County Democratic Committee, which conducted its annual convention online. Also nominated were North Plainfield Councilman Doug Singleterry and former Hillsborough Councilman Paul Drake for the two Somerset County Freeholder seats …

Somerset County Sheriff-elect Darrin Russo, center, gestures after his history making victory on Nov. 5. Township Democrats won big in the Nov. 5 elections, sweeping the Mayoral and Township Council races, making history in the Somerset County Sheriff race and maintaining a seat in the state General Assembly. Locally, Mayor Phil Kramer and his running mates for the Township Council’s …

Darrin Russo. The issue of Franklin Township Police officers’ use of “union time” has made its way into the race for Somerset County Sheriff. Republican Sheriff candidate Bill Parenti said in a report published on Aug. 22 that his Democratic opponent, retired FTPD Lt. Darrin Russo, should repay the township for the 273 hours of “union time” Russo took in …

Polling results are delivered to the township Municipal Building June 4. The two Democratic-party endorsed local candidates survived primary challenges June 4, but a township man challenging the Republican Party’s pick for Freeholder was not successful. On the Democratic side, State Assemblyman Joe Danielsen and his running mate, Assemblyman Joe Egan of New Brunswick, both D-17, easily fended off a …

I am the Democratic Candidate for Sheriff. Retired Lieutenant from the Franklin Township Police Department with 31 years experience. During those years I have worked with the residents, business owners, schools and places of worship to provide the safety and security every community deserves. I’ve organized and supervised large-scale operations, worked with multiple Federal and State agencies throughout my career. …