By Emily Schopfer
FAIR HAVEN – Voters in Fair Haven is seeing a contested election Nov. 3 for two borough council seats and the mayor’s office. Early voting runs through Nov. 1.
Fair Haven follows a borough form of partisan government, with a six-member council and a directly elected mayor.
Running for two full-term seats on the borough council are Republicans Kristen A. Hoey, a former council member, and incumbent Brian W. Olson. Challengers are Democrats Marian Croak and Christopher Rodriguez, a former council member and council president.
Council members Olson and Michal DiMiceli’s terms expire at the end of this year. DiMiceli, a Democrat, is not running for reelection to council; instead, he is running for mayor. Also running for mayor are Republican council president Elizabeth “Betsy” Koch and Independent Diana Anttonen.
Candidate responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Mayoral Election
The current mayor, Republican Josh Halpern, is not seeking reelection. Halpern has served as Fair Haven’s mayor since 2022, with his current four-year term ending Dec. 31.
As Halpern steps down, three candidates are stepping up to the plate, representing three parties: current council president Elizabeth “Betsy” Koch, a Republican; Democrat Michal (Albanese) DiMiceli, a current council member; and Independent Diana Anttonen.
Diana Anttonen is best known in Fair Haven for helping found Fair Haven’s farmers market alongside Maggie Ludman and Elise Casey. She also serves with Fair Haven’s Fire Department.
Michal DiMiceli is a longtime Fair Haven resident, bringing over 30 years of administrative experience, previously working for the City of Long Branch and on Fair Haven’s Green Team and Environmental Commission.
Elizabeth Koch is a decades-long Fair Haven resident who has worked as an educator in Fair Haven.
For more information on the contested mayoral race, visit The Two River Times website, tworivertimes.com, for a June 13 article titled, “Three Candidates Now in Fair Haven Mayoral Race.”
The League of Women’s Voters for Monmouth County also held a virtual forum for the mayoral candidates Oct. 8 that can be viewed on its website at lwvsmc.org/vids.php.
This article originally appeared in the October 29-November 4, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
