By Emily Schopfer
MIDDLETOWN – Middletown residents will choose among four candidates running for two seats on the township committee in the Nov. 3 election: two Republicans and two Democrats.
The township committee form of government includes five committee members elected at-large for three-year terms. At its annual reorganization meeting in January, members elect one of the five members to serve as mayor and another to serve as deputy mayor, both for one-year terms. For over a decade, Republicans have held all five seats on the committee.
This year two seats are open, currently held by committee members Ryan M. Clarke and Kimberly Kratz, who is not seeking reelection.
GOP incumbent Clarke and his running mate Morganne Dudzinski are the official candidates of the Middletown and Monmouth County Republican organizations. The Democratic candidates are Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach, running on the Monmouth County Democratic Organization slate. The two also sought office in last year’s election.
This year’s general election will take place Tuesday, Nov. 3. The deadline to apply for a mail-in ballot is Oct. 27. The voter registration deadline is Oct. 13. Early voting will run from Oct. 24 to Nov. 1.
The Two River Times invited each candidate to share information about their background and experience and to discuss their top priorities for the township in areas such as development, fiscal management and community engagement.
Ryan M. Clarke (R)
Clarke is a “lifelong resident of Middletown with deep family roots in the community.” He has volunteered for more than three decades, including five years as chief of the Middletown Township Fire Department. “I have also proudly served for more than five years as a member of the Middletown Township Committee, where I remain focused on supporting public safety, strengthening local infrastructure, and preserving the quality of life for our residents. As both a professional and civic leader, I combine hands-on experience with a practical, solutions-driven approach to government and community service. Above all, I am a devoted husband and father who takes great pride in giving back to the community I have always called home,” Clarke said.
If reelected, Clarke said the most pressing matter he would address is development in Middletown. This is not a new issue, he said, but rather an ongoing issue the town has been “dealing with for the five years I’ve been on the committee.”
While Clarke said he has “never been against development,” he said he is strongly opposed to “development for the sake of development.” Any development within Middletown, he said, should take Middletown’s needs into account.
This problem of overdevelopment is not unique to Middletown, he said, as it “stems from the policies that have come down from governments above us… specifically Trenton.” State development mandates are “creating a narrative… in communities all over the state,” to simply “build for the sake of building,” Clarke said.
While a municipality cannot disregard such state mandates for affordable housing, “what we can do is dig our heels in, and fight,” Clarke said. “We will continue to question and fight every project that comes up… and not allow the developments to happen as they’re proposed to us.” Clarke referenced two major development projects in Middletown: the Route 35 Circus Liquors site and West Nutswamp Road, both high-density projects that underwent significant scope reductions after pushback from Middletown.
Morganne Dudzinski (R)
Dudzinski said she is a “proud Middletown Township resident, wife and mother of three.” She is a Middletown Housing Authority commissioner and a Government Affairs Community Advisor for 180 Turning Lives Around. With more than a decade of New Jersey public policy experience, she said she currently works as associate director of the New Jersey Association of State Colleges and Universities, advocating for the state’s public higher education institutions. Previously, she served as director of news and public affairs at Monmouth University and worked for former Republican state Sen. Jennifer Beck. A former Division I student-athlete at Monmouth University, she said she brings a strong work ethic, discipline and commitment to service to her professional and community work. As a mother, she said she is “invested in ensuring the township remains a safe, affordable and welcoming community for families, while protecting taxpayers and preserving the character of Middletown.”
For Dudzinski, the first order of business should she be elected concerns two connected issues: affordability and fiscal responsibility. “Affordability is top of mind for any family,” Dudzinski said and, as a working mom, she knows the struggle of residents juggling grocery bills, utilities, property taxes and other expenses.
To help address this issue, Dudzinski said spending public tax dollars “wisely, efficiently and on services that truly matter” is a top priority. “If I am elected to the local body, I will continue to be responsible with every tax dollar,” she said. A multiyear capital plan is something she would also work to implement.
Dudzinski added that development within the township is another issue she plans to address, as overdevelopment and high-density development matter to residents. While she said she is not opposed to new development, Dudzinski said it should focus on what “makes sense” for the town, including infrastructure improvements that can address issues such as flooding during the recent nor’easter.
Dudzinski said one aspect of development that “sometimes gets lost in all of this” is that much of Middletown’s recent development is due to mandates from Trenton on housing obligations. The state mandate on development and affordable housing is another matter she will “continue to look at very closely.”
While her role as commissioner on the Middletown Housing Authority can “definitely be helpful” in providing expertise in handling development matters, Dudzinski said being a Middletown resident makes her most qualified. She said talking to fellow residents and neighbors and being an involved resident gives her the most expertise on what matters to Middletown.
Jeremy Seideman (D)
Jeremy Seideman said he and his partner, Tamara Cella, “have been proud residents of Middletown since 2023, quickly immersing themselves in the community and working toward a better future for all.” With over 20 years of experience in technology, research and leadership, he brings a problem-solving mindset and a commitment to innovation to local issues. He holds a Ph.D. in computer science and has worked as “both a researcher and an executive, tackling complex challenges and delivering impactful solutions.” As a published author and inventor with over 40 patents, he said he “understands the power of collaboration, creative thinking, and data-driven decision-making.”
He said his “vision for Middletown is centered on transparency and accountability with a community-first approach.” He believes in “smart growth that balances progress with affordability and sustainability, ensuring that Middletown remains a safe, welcoming, and inclusive place for everyone, including families just starting out and seniors on fixed incomes.” He said he is actively working to “engage voters, promote fair representation, and advocate for policies that put people first.”
“My thing is, and always has been, the township committee needs to be accountable to the people,” Seideman said. “Things should be done in such a way where anyone can find out why a decision was made.”
A government answers to its people, Seideman said, and at its core, a township committee is just that: local government. Seideman said the township does make information about ordinances and meetings available to some extent, but it is often difficult to find and does not explain the reasoning behind the committee’s decisions. If elected, Seideman said he would push for more transparency in township decisions. “The committee should be able to justify (decisions) not by saying ‘it is a good idea,’ but ‘this is a good idea because,’ ” Seideman said. He added that such explanations should be driven by factual data above all.
Responsible development and responsible spending are major factors tied to the lack of transparency, Seideman said. “Everything is expensive,” he said, and residents feel they are “spending more and getting less.” Now more than ever, residents need to know exactly where every tax dollar is going, and why, according to Seideman.
Another aspect of the lack of transparency is that “you have a single party running the entire committee,” Seideman said, “so there are no other dissenting voices because there doesn’t need to be.” When the entire committee is the same political party, Seideman said, the underlying agenda is the same.
Shawn Wallach (D)
Shawn Wallach said he is an attorney with more than 20 years of experience representing businesses and individuals throughout New Jersey and New York. His practice has spanned litigation, employment law and business matters, giving him the experience to understand his clients’ concerns and help them find practical solutions, he said.
Wallach has lived in Middletown with his wife, Melissa, a pediatrician, for 25 years. Their son, Sam, is a senior at Tulane University. Wallach spent 12 years as a coach and board member with Lincroft Little League and is committed to “making Middletown a welcoming community where young families can put down roots and longtime residents can continue to enjoy all that our town has to offer,” he said.
Transparency and accountability within the township committee are Wallach’s top priorities, he said. Middletown has been a single party-controlled committee for years, with “no real open debate,” Wallach said. “Every single vote is five to nothing.” Wallach said the “government runs on checks and balances,” but “no one is checking on this committee.”
A major transparency issue comes down to “lack of smart growth, affordable housing,” Wallach said.
The township “made a mistake when it pulled out of the Mount Laurel Doctrine,” he said. This decision has resulted in “unnecessary legal bills” and the loss of “all control over zoning,” Wallach said, noting the Route 35 Circus Liquor site as an example.
Decisions on affordable housing development in the township cannot operate on a case-by-case basis, as they do now, Wallach said, and the township needs a better process. If elected, Wallach said he would work more closely with the state to find a better resolution for affordable housing development.
Wallach said he does not see a way for the township to move forward without rejoining the Mount Laurel Doctrine, but even if the township chooses not to rejoin, he feels the committee owes an explanation of how this benefits the town.
Board of Education
After an eventful few months for Middletown’s Board of Education following a February announcement of three school closures, Election Day will be rather quiet. The school board election will be uncontested, with three candidates (Bernard Daus, Susan Henderson and Amanda Faryar) running to fill three seats. None of the current board members – Jacqueline Tobacco, Caterina Skalaski and board vice president Frank Capone – whose terms end this December, are running for reelection.
Note: Candidates’ responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order by last name.
This article originally appeared in the October 8-14, 2026 print edition of The Two River Times.
