On March 12, the BTDC endorsed a powerful ticket to run for two open seats in the 2026 Bernards Township Committee race. Mayor Ana McCarthy and former Committeewoman Joan Bannan are leaders our community knows, with experience residents can trust. If you’re interested in working on this exciting campaign, please click here.
Mayor Duarte McCarthy has lived in Bernards for 30 years and is serving a three-year term secured in the 2023 election. In seeking re-election, the mayor says, “The Township Committee is working together collaboratively, and in good faith, to provide all our residents with the best possible outcomes. Regardless of the national divisiveness, here we are locals. I would be honored to continue serving our community for another term of office.”
Duarte McCarthy is the township’s first-ever democratic mayor and has had a broad range of responsibilities. She has served as liaison to the Agricultural Advisory, Emergency Management, and Golf Advisory Committees, the Municipal Alliance, and the Environmental and Shade Tree Commissions. She is also member of the Police Subcommittee, and lead with the utility companies. As Mayor, she is focused on several priorities in partnership with her colleagues, including fiscal responsibility, public safety and economic development. She is the Township Committee lead on the 250th Anniversary Committee and is excited about the work underway to celebrate Bernards and its important role during the Revolutionary War.
Professionally, Duarte McCarthy was a senior executive with Citi for several decades and led the company’s global strategy for hiring and developing diverse talent, fostering an inclusive work environment, and ensuring management accountability. Afterward, she joined the Forte Foundation as the Director of Corporate Partners, responsible for new business development. Additionally, she has a long record of community service in local non-profits, Bernards schools, and township government. Since 2015, Duarte McCarthy has served on the Board of Directors of the Greater Somerset County YMCA, and is past chair, and current commissioner for the NJ State Advisory Commission on the Status of Women.
The mayor and her husband, Michael, are currently empty nesters. Their daughter, Alissa, attended and graduated from Bernards Township public schools, and was recently married.
Joan Bannan is a practicing attorney and has lived in Bernards for more than 25 years. She was elected to the Township Committee in 2019 and served a three-year term. Prior to her election, she was a member of the Board of Health in 2015 and was appointed to the Municipal Alliance in 2017. In 2018, she became a Certified Youth Mental Health First Aid Instructor and trained residents, administrators and teachers in Bernards and surrounding communities.
During her term as a Committeewoman, she continued her service on the Board of Health and the Municipal Alliance. She was also appointed to a wide range of committees and boards including the Sewerage Authority, Planning Board, Environmental Commission, and the Police Subcommittee. Working with her colleagues and professional staff, key accomplishments during her tenure include the entry into a shared service agreement with nearby towns for a municipal court resulting in taxpayer savings, the introduction of a new and improved Township website, the establishment of protocols and systems during the COVID pandemic to ensure safety and continuation of municipal services, and responsible fiscal oversight keeping Bernards debt-free.
This year, Bannan returned to a position on the Planning Board after having served there in 2019 and 2020. Regarding the upcoming election, she says, "I am excited to run with Ana, who cares deeply about our town, and for the opportunity to serve all residents of our community once again."
Bannan is currently counsel with the firm of Porzio Bromberg & Newman in Parsippany, NJ where she is an active litigator and involved in the firm’s pro bono efforts. In her two-plus decades in Bernards Township, she has raised four children who attended Bernards Township public schools. She thoroughly enjoys spending time with her family, which now includes three grandchildren.
– Jen Aaron
Hello!
This month I am pleased to share the first in the series of the Mayor’s Quarterly Newsletter, a summary of Township Committee municipal activity for the first quarter, along with updates and announcements from the departments. We're committed to keeping Bernards residents informed and hope you find this update valuable.
Health and wellness are critical to a community's success, promoting social interaction and individual quality of life. The New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute announced the Mayors Wellness Campaign “Healthy Town” winners for 2025. The winners are the cities and towns that go above and beyond to improve health and wellness in their communities through innovative programs in areas such as exercise, healthy eating, and mental health education and awareness. There were forty-five Healthy Town winners and for the third year in a row, Bernards Township is among them!
This year’s efforts placed a strong emphasis on accessibility, with initiatives such as a sensory-friendly hour before the Mayor’s Fall Festival for guests with cognitive disabilities. The Mayors Wellness Campaign is an important lever toward making our community a great place to live and thrive. Please join me for a Mayor’s Wellness activity, “Yoga at Dunham Park,” on Wednesday, May 27, 6:00pm.
On March 12, I was joined by Committeewoman Asay and Committeeman Hodges at the Islamic Society of Basking Ridge Interfaith Iftar celebrating the close of Ramadan. Representatives from several congregations and public office all spoke to the themes of unity, charity, and strengthening bonds with family and the wider community.
The Township Committee is actively seeking grant funding to support capital projects. At the March 24 meeting, we approved Resolution #2026-0207, Bernards Township’s application for FY2027 Community Project Funding through Representative Tom Kean, Jr. The application seeks $1.8M in federal funding for the construction of the Pleasant Valley Park Culvert and Paths Project. We appreciated receiving letters of support for the project funding from Somerset County Administrator Colleen Mahr, Assemblymen Vincent Kearny and Andrew Macurdy, and Senator Jon Bramnick.
We are getting ready to celebrate! Somerset County proudly launched the 250th anniversary at the Grain House, Old Mill Inn, to commemorate the beginning of this historic year. See the America 250 web page for information on local, county, and state 250th Anniversary events.
Thank you as always to those who are attending the Township Committee meetings. Upcoming meetings are posted on the Township Committee web page. Meetings are open to the public, and begin at 7:30pm, Town Hall, 1 Collyer Lane.
Your Voice Matters! You can contact me with township questions/thoughts/comments 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 clerk.
On Wednesday, March 18th, the Somerset County Democratic Committee (SCDC) met at the annual SCDC Convention to endorse candidates and give them our county slogan for the upcoming Primary Election on Tuesday, June 2nd.
The Convention had an impressive turnout of all SCDC County Committee members, with roughly 300 out of 416 attending. Candidates for Township Committee, Incumbent Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy, former Committeewoman Joan Harris, and Chair Jane Conklin came out along with the rest of the BTDC to have our voices heard about which candidates we wanted to receive the SCDC endorsement.
The 7th Congressional District had numerous candidates vying for Somerset's support. Former Navy Pilot and Healthcare Exec Rebecca Bennett, Businessman Brian Varela, Doctor Tina Shah, Ph.D. Farmer Meghan O'Rourke, a former Biden Admin official, and CEO Michael Roth all got a chance to make their case to the County.
Each candidate gave a strong speech that covered a variety of topics, from anti-corruption and ensuring the current Trump Administration is held accountable to lowering the cost of groceries and housing, expanding healthcare access, and the most common theme: getting money out of politics. After tallying the results, Rebecca Bennett received 80 of the 149 votes cast. Brian Varela received 29, with Michael Roth just behind with 25. Since Bennett passed the threshold with 54% of the vote, she won the SCDC endorsement outright.
The BTDC overwhelmingly supported Bennett in this regard. We are excited to help her get across the finish line in June, and then, once and for all, send Tom Kean Jr. packing.
I also want to briefly cover our Congressional District neighbor to the South, CD12. Somerset County's own Commissioner Director Shanel Robinson overwhelmingly won the endorsement, receiving exactly 100 votes. Also, for County Commissioners, the SCDC unanimously endorsed incumbents Paul Drake and Bernards Township's very own Elizabeth Graner.
When it came time for the BTDC, we were happy to endorse Mayor Duarte McCarthy and Committeewoman Harris, as we look forward to retaining control over the Bernards Township Committee in November. Now is the time to focus on the upcoming Primary and continue the amazing year Democrats have had, not only in New Jersey but Nationwide.
– Lex D'Andrea
The Bernards Township Democratic Committee (BTDC) Civic Scholarship competition is in full swing! Each year, a Ridge High School student entering their first year of college or senior year of high school who aspires to foster civic engagement and democratic values has the opportunity to apply, with the winner receiving $1,000 and an opportunity for a multi-week summer internship.
Applications may be submitted to the BTDC scholarship committee until May 1, 2026. All information submitted will be held in confidence and used solely for the purpose of scholarship administration.
