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With November’s election just a few weeks away, the BTDC considers the upcoming contest even more critical than the last. Having won the majority, we now have to maintain the local government we’ve all worked so hard to realize by electing Joan Bannan and re-electing Mayor Ana Duarte McCarthy.
We don’t have to look too far back to see the change we’ve created. Nor do we have to gaze too closely around us to recognize the challenges that remain. All in all, I know many of us pinch ourselves when we say, “Last year, Bernards turned blue.”
From afar, we appear like any other small community of about 30,000, a leafy green suburb in northern New Jersey. Look more closely, however, and note our political geography. Bernards sits in the back yard of Bedminster, and Trump National Golf Course, smack at the crossroads of summer MAGA-land and bluer than blue New York City. It’s a rather strange place to be, politically, and history has not been kind to Dems in our corner of Somerset County.
The Bernards Township Committee had been Republican ruled for nearly a century, since 1938, up until last year’s election. Out of towners find it hard to believe that we seated our first democratic mayor in history just this year. Or that our Board of Education recently banned high school sociology textbooks because they discuss the mere existence of racism and homosexuality in modern society.
Many have likely never seen something like the Charlie Kirk memorial that sat on a lawn across the street from our YMCA for many months and has just reappeared! Or the litany of pro-Trump, MAGA signage that continues to litter properties throughout town. Or the strident, misleading social media posts and campaign messages that misstate facts or trot out old and personal grievances in an effort to persuade and foment rage.
Yet if you’ve been looking closely, seeds of change have become discernible. Our municipal complex flies pride flags each June. A long and litigious battle over the building of a mosque yielded the township’s first Islamic house of worship several years back. Today the mosque is thriving, as is a Chabad Jewish center. Beginning in 2023, and after much petitioning, a Hanukkah menorah and Islamic crescent marking Ramadan were “allowed” for display a few blocks away from a majestic Christmas tree that has long adorned our town center.
On the flip side, progress has been slow and hard-fought. Many bumpers in our strip mall parking lots remain adorned with Trump stickers. SUVs and pick-up trucks boast Blue Lives Matter decals and flags. Our highways sometimes shut down to allow 47’s motorcades through, and our skies are busy with thump-thumping Marine One helicopters ferrying him to and from his golf club. Even the most recent election-cycle signage around town featured four or five Trump-aligned Jack Ciattarelli signs to every one for Mikie Sherrill.
In terms of voter registration, residents identify in the following ways:
6,821 Democrats
6,971 Republicans
8,361 Independents
It’s important to note the power of our Independents, and equally critical to remember the seeds of change that have taken root. Because last November, something remarkable happened. The Democratic Party in Bernards Township made history and won the majority.
Despite the loud strain of MAGA running through our streets and schools, our online forums and local politics, this community elected two more Dems to the Township Committee. And baby steps of change be damned; we did so resoundingly. From the top of the ticket and Mikie Sherrill, down to two local and “regular guys” — Brett Hodges and John Tompkins — who took a chance and put their names in a very uncertain contest, our residents voted blue in Every. Single. Race.
For the first time in nearly one hundred years, Bernards is a true blue community. We have leadership determined to serve openly and collegially, committed to giving voice to a variety and diversity of residents and their concerns. We now need to reject partisan slurs and bickering, name calling and leaders who push agendas that are contrary to our community’s interests. Your vote for local elections is just as important as your vote for national contests. Please join the BTDC in doing everything in your power to maintain the Democratic momentum in November.
The BTDC and the McCarthy Bannan Campaign are encouraging like-minded residents to share, post, spread the message of Common Ground and Democratic Values far and wide in the coming weeks via some great campaign videos. Please see the following link to Ana’s and Joan’s vision for Bernards’ local government and help get their vision in front of as many voters as possible. Many thanks!
Please join the Somerset County Federation of Democratic Women at the Eleanor Roosevelt Volunteer Service Award celebration. This year, the Bernards Township Democratic Committee is excited to honor SIMA GUVEN as our Eleanor Roosevelt Volunteer award recipient. Sima has been key to our many successes, including serving as Treasurer for Township Committee campaigns and the Committee. Sima consistently shows up with a positive attitude, encouraging us to strive for success. Purchase your tickets now, and join the celebration on Thursday, October 22.
September marks the end of summer and the beginning of fall, and for me, it invokes a back-to-school mindset. In that spirit, the Township Committee had a busy September, including recognitions of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 and resolutions highlighting local champions, our diversity, and the U.S. Constitution.
On Thursday, September 10, I joined many at the Heartworks 9/11 “Night of Reflection” program, honoring the 25th Anniversary of 9/11. It was a beautiful convening of community to honor and reflect upon all those taken on September 11, along with others who passed from 9/11 related illnesses. On Friday, September 11, the Township held its 9/11 Memorial Program honoring the 2,977 individuals, including 17 souls from our community, lost twenty-five years ago in the terrorist attacks against the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 near Shanksville, PA. It was a special evening of prayer, song, reflection, and hope. We appreciate everyone who attended the program, as well as those who participated from our Police, Fire, and EMS departments. Special thanks to Committeeman Andrew McNally, former Mayor Janice Fields, and Christy Kieffer, Municipal Clerk, and her team for their work planning the event. As I shared at the program, it’s said that you die twice, once when you stop breathing and a second time when somebody says your name for the last time. It is my hope our community will continue this ceremony to honor those taken from us for many years to come.
Our local champions were the Pleasant Valley Pool Piranha’s Swim team, who won the 2026 Somerset Hills Summer Swim League Championship for the second consecutive year. We recognized the swim team and coaches, along with the many volunteers who supported the team throughout the season.
Two heritage month resolutions were introduced, including Hispanic Heritage (September 15-October 15) and Italian Heritage (beginning in October). During National Hispanic Heritage Month, we recognize and celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. According to the latest census (2020), approximately 5.6% of the nearly 28,000 residents in Bernards Township, New Jersey, identify as Hispanic or Latino, as do more than 17% of Somerset County residents.
The Hispanic and Latino members of our community are entrepreneurs, public servants, and neighbors. Unfortunately, the PEW Research Center reports that expanded immigration enforcement has created a deep climate of fear, economic hardship, and social disruption across Latino communities in the United States, including among legal citizens and U.S. Residents. When our Hispanic community thrives, our entire town is stronger, more vibrant, and more resilient.
October is designated as Italian American Heritage Month, honoring and celebrating the history, culture, and contributions of Italian Americans. The Township Committee resolution also recognized the local chapter ofUNICO National. Founded in 1922, UNICO has served the Italian American community for more than a century through charitable service, scholarship, cultural programming, and civic engagement, while promoting Italian American heritage. The Basking Ridge Chapter of UNICO embraces this mission by fostering cultural pride, community involvement, and service, including its annual Ridge High School UNICO Bowl, which brings the community together while supporting local charitable causes. Celebrating and recognizing Hispanic and Italian Heritage months is one way we demonstrate how we value and respect the diversity of our residents.
September is also the month we celebrate the anniversary of the United States Constitution. In 1955, the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution petitioned the United States Congress to dedicate September 17 through September 23 each year as Constitution Week. Congress subsequently adopted the resolution, which was signed into Public Law on August 2, 1956, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Constitution Week has been observed since that time.
This year, in light of our country’s 250th Anniversary, Jane Allen, Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Basking Ridge Chapter, requested the Township Committee issue a proclamation honoring Constitution Week. The Township Committee was happy to do so! Constitution Week reminds us that 'We the People' begins with each of us right here in our own community. We have a shared civic duty to work together, listen to one another with respect, and improve our municipality for the next generation. To honor Constitution Week, on Thursday, September 17, the community convened to ring bells at Town Hall at 4 pm ET. This nationwide event, often called Bells Across America, replicates the exact moment church bells and the Pennsylvania State House bell rang out in Philadelphia on September 17th, 1787, to announce the completion and signing of the United States Constitution. We hope to expand bell ringing across the township in the coming year.
On Saturday, September 19, the Voices of the American Revolution event was held at the Farmstead Arts Center. The festivities included patriotic music by BrassWorks, local historical characters, and a special talk on the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our nation.
On Wednesday, September 23, the Township hosted a meeting with Ben Spinelli, Executive Director, and Liz Ward, Principal Planner and Land Preservation Coordinator, on the NJ Highlands Water Protection and Planning Council. The presenters shared information on the Highlands Council mission and purpose, explaining what it means to be in the Highlands, how it interacts with local planning, state mandates, and the pros and cons of conforming to the Highlands Regional Master Plan. The presentation slides can be found here.
This past Saturday, September 26, it was wonderful to celebrate the opening of a new business, Jersey Girl Chocolate, on Lewis Street. Nicole Edelson, a former teacher, has opened the business with her husband Pete. The store offers chocolate and gifts, and Nicole, who has a son with autism, shared that she wants to create opportunities to employ people with disabilities and has already hired one student. Be sure to visit this tasty and delightful new storefront!
At the September 29th meeting, the Township Committee introduced Ordinance #2602 to set the table for being a “film-ready” municipality. This past year, Jessica Paolini, head of Somerset County Economic Development, alerted Committeewoman Asay and me that Bernards Township was not listed among the certified municipalities on the state’s Film Ready program website. We passed a film-ready ordinance in 2024, but some criteria had not been amended, so the application to be a film-ready municipality was not deemed complete. The Township Committee has amended the Ordinance to reflect the current criteria, and if adopted, Bernards can again apply for certification and join the list of film-ready municipalities.
I appreciate those who attend or livestream the Township Committee meetings. Upcoming meetings are posted on the Township Committee website. 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.
