Hello! While there are still some votes to be counted, the Hodges and Tompkins campaign is well on its way to a resounding victory.
Currently, Brett Hodges is ahead by 209 votes and John Tompkins is ahead by 384.
For the first time in history, we will have a Democratic majority on our Township Committee.
Suffice to say a few tears were shed on Election night. For me personally, this local win was significant. It's where I have lived for 13 years. At times I questioned whether I wanted to stay in this community, having lived previously in a much more progressive town. Being introduced to this group helped me remember there were like-minded women here (thank you Jennifer Sperling Kluger). I got involved with the BTDC in 2019 and this is my third time running a campaign. The first was Jessica Simpson-Cook who came within 100+ votes of beating Janice Fields. The second campaign was for Ana Duarte McCarthy and Lily Wong. Ana received the highest number of votes and Lily came within 7 votes.
L to R: Jen Aaron, John, Mikie, Brett, Sara Nichols
Campaigns are not won by one. And there are a few who went above and beyond to deliver this anticipated win. First, I want to thank my "ride or dies", Kristin Blomquist and Jennifer Aaron. It was many hours of plotting, strategizing, looking at data, reaching out and rallying support. With our treasurer Sima Guven I always knew we were in excellent financial hands. As for our candidates, they raised their hands for all the right reasons. They are good men who have contributed to their community with significant impact and stepped into the ring at a particularly contentious time in local politics.
As most of you know, winning an election here as a Democrat has historically been a rare occurrence. We were blessed to have sage advisors in Ana Duarte McCarthy and Joan M. Bannan, the first two Democratic women who ran and WON in Bernards Township. They helped our team hone our message, and their endorsement video went viral here with over 123,000 views on Instagram, and 50,000 on Facebook. BTDC Chair Jane Conklin was always available to hear me grouse, and worked her magic rallying volunteers and knocking on doors.
Nancy D'Andrea was not only a generous donor, she was a canvassing machine, knocking on hundreds of doors (over 1200?). Claudia Hodges and Sharon Tompkins donated their husbands and supported us at every turn. Lily Wong hosted a fundraiser as did Bill and Carolyn Knox. Karen Haase-Gray and her husband Jack erected those big banners throughout the town, and if Mother Nature beat them down, Jack provided reinforcements.
Rani Maloney was our sign queen and worked the polls on Election Day. Dorothea Schlosser provided a beautiful location for us to host Mikie Sherrill in May and film candidate interviews and let us camp out at her house for four days to launch the final community canvasses, which included a visit from Lt Gov elect Dr Dale Caldwell. Mary Jane Walsh helped me put up signs in all the public spaces and made it FUN. Betsy Bacot photographed our launch and has always provided generous support. Kristy Omelianuk stepped up for whatever we needed and worked the polls on Election Day. Kathi Paton joined us at many community canvasses. Our BTDC Scholarship recipient Meera Shah single-handedly mailed out several hundred vote by mail applications to high school seniors and Ridge alumni and did an excellent video on why local elections matter.
Many more of you quietly donated, followed us on social media, canvassed, made phone calls, put out a lawn sign, or attended fundraisers. Every effort matters. We set a record for the most funds raised on our local campaigns, which helped us reach every person in town through social media, YouTube, and mailers.
My hope is it provides a sigh of relief that we HAVE MADE and will continue to MAKE A DIFFERENCE right here at home. Let this momentum remind us that together we are a FORCE. And when we take the majority in January and hear the words MAYOR DUARTE MCCARTHY, let's rally behind Ana, Brett and John to ensure their success! Stay tuned…
– Sara Nichols, Campaign Manager
GET INVOLVED – LET’S TAP YOUR TALENT!!
It’s that time of year when residents interested in serving on any variety of township boards should submit applications. The committees are currently surveying their members to see who wishes to be considered for reappointment. Appointments are based on openings after election results are confirmed, usually at the second November Township Committee meeting.
November 11, Township Committee Meeting, 7:30pm @ Municipal Building
November 24, Board of Education Meeting, 7pm @ Ridge PAC
November 25, Township Committee Meeting, 7:30pm @ Municipal Building
On October 16, one of our own was honored at the Somerset County Federation of Democratic Women's Eleanor Roosevelt dinner. Kristin Blomquist has served our committee as secretary and was the field director for the Hodges and Tompkins campaign.
SCFDW is proud to honor the dedicated women volunteers of Somerset County. Nominees are Somerset County Democratic women who are working to improve their communities, encourage engagement and help elect Democrats to all levels of government. Kristin is an invaluable part of our team and we are incredibly proud to honor her!
Hello! As I write this column, the election is underway. I want to thank Bernards Township residents Brett Hodges, John Tompkins, and Elizabeth Graner, for giving their time and talent to run for election, and to Bernice “Tina” Jalloh for seeking reelection. Thank you as well to the campaign team for supporting these candidates in their quest for office. Collectively candidates and volunteers have given their all—and I hope that everyone reading this, voted. Elections at the local level are often decided through a handful of votes. Every vote matters!
October has been a month of travel and weddings for the Duarte-McCarthy’s including a bucket list trip to Italy and then a wedding (the third this year) of another Ridge High School graduate, class of 2013. The last wedding for us will be this coming weekend in Wilmington, NC. I share this because the weddings have unfortunately coincided with our Township’s First Responder dinner of October 23, and the Field of Honor on November 2. These two distinct events are held to recognize and thank those who serve our community and or are veterans of the military branches. I am grateful the Township continues the tradition of showing its gratitude and respect through these programs.
The Township Committee held one meeting in October, this past October 28th. During the meeting, Resolution #2025-0362, celebrating Italian American heritage month was passed and the local UNICO organization, whose mission is to promote Italian heritage and culture, was recognized. Americans of Italian heritage, along with other groups the Township Committee has recognized through resolutions, are part of the rich diversity that makes Bernards Township a wonderful place to live. This is relevant to me as we approach the nations’ 250th Anniversary and reflect upon the positive impact that immigrants have had upon our country and closer to home, our township. Personally, as a first-generation immigrant, I value the importance of promoting one’s heritage and tradition. UNICO is a vibrant partner in our community, providing cultural enrichment and opportunities for volunteer service, while welcoming others to be part of the journey. To that end, I wish UNICO continued success in promoting the organization’smission in the years to come.
The Township Committee also approved Resolution #2025-0366, Acknowledgment of Responses to the NJ Division of Local Government Services Best Practices InventoryQuestionnaire. Municipalities are required to submit this questionnaire to receive the last installment of state aid. Responses are scored and must meet a minimum threshold of 32. I am pleased to share that Bernards Township received a score of 39.5 from a possible 43.5. Sean McCarthy, Chief Financial Officer, Bernards Township, shared a summary of the report prior to our approval of the resolution. The report has evolved from primarily focusing on finance practices to a broader consideration of operations and finance. The high score demonstrates that our Township staff implement best practices while focusing on continuous improvement. A thank you to Mr. McCarthy and the staff who contributed to submitting the report and ensuring state funding.
During October Committeeman David Tancredi and I met with Jessica Paolini, Manager of Economic Development Somerset County and Colleen Mahr, Somerset County Administrator. We learned about Jessica’s role, the resources our township can leverage, along with hearing examples of how communities, such as Hillsborough, are using these resources locally. Welook forward to continued conversations with Jessica in support of Economic Development.
The following are committee updates for which I serve as liaison. Melonie Marano, Somerset County Commissioner and Deputy Director, and liaison to the County’s Cultural and Heritage Commission, was a guest at our Wednesday Oct 22 meeting
250th Anniversary Committee David Becker, chair, shared our progress report for the year, including, among others, the logo contest, the Township Anniversary event on September 20th at Famrstead Arts, and the Committee’s presence at the Mayors Fall Festival, held this past October 4. Commissioner Marano’s feedback to the group is that Bernards “is really hitting it out of the park on the preparation for the 250th.” Gearing up for 2026, the 250th Anniversary Committee’s signature program will be a series of events presented from December 10-15 focusing on aspects of General Charles Lee’s capture, it’s impact on the war, and the connection to several prominent citizens of Basking Ridge at the time. To that end, the Committee has applied for a County History Partnership Program Grant or CHPP grant to fund programming for this event. As background, the capture of General Charles Lee at Widow White’s Tavern is one of the earliest and most dramatic events to occur in Bernards Township. The Tavern was located on a site, designated with a sign, that is now South Finley Avenue in downtown Basking Ridge. I’ll be sharing more about upcoming programming in subsequent issues.
The Environmental Commission and Agricultural Advisory Committee will offer an opportunity to recycle your pumpkins! In lieu of the annual pumpkin smash, English Farm will provide a pumpkin drop off site from November 8 through the 22 and will compost any "clean" pumpkins that free of paint, sparkles, or any glued-on decorations. More information on this recycling opportunity will be communicated on the township website and social media.
In support of National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, the Bernards Township Police Department in partnership with the Board of Health and Municipal Alliance hosted a collection event on Saturday, Oct. 25, giving residents a safe and responsible way to dispose of unused or expired medications. Community members were able to drop off prescription drugs between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the police headquarter lobby, located at 1 Collyer Lane in Basking Ridge.
Municipal Alliance is also pleased to share that the Township is implementing a “recovery friendly community program” utilizing Opioid Settlement funds. Mike Manion has been appointed as the Community Recovery Champion for Bernards Township with CiC (Community in Crisis) for Prevention and Recovery. Mike will actively engage with residents and stakeholders, including local faith leaders, government, schools, first responders and the town’s Municipal Alliance Coordinators and community law enforcement programs. These relationships will contribute to the more effective delivery and management of services, ranging from one-on-one recovery coaching, educational workshops and trainings, and providing navigation to treatment and higher levels of care.
Thank you to those who have joined me at Township Committee meetings. Your presence is valued and appreciated. Our next scheduled meeting will be Tuesday, November 11, at 7:30pm,Town Hall, 1 Collyer Lane.
You can contact me on Township matters at (201) 306-0178, or via email at amccarthy@bernards.org. Please note that any correspondence sent to me will be visible to the full township committee and county clerk.
