By JF Grodeska and Sunayana Prabhu
Municipal Elections
In the final week covering municipal elections, we asked the candidates in Sea Bright and Holmdel the following question:
Voter turnout during off-year elections – those without a presidential or midterm race – is notoriously low. Why are local elections (for municipal and county seats) so important and what is the best way to boost voter turnout during an off-year election?
Candidates are listed alphabetically with their party affiliation noted.
To learn more about your local candidates and their views on issues facing your community and to check your voter registration status or register to vote, visit vote411.org.
Responses have been lightly edited for style and to fit the allotted space.
Sea Bright
Incumbent Republican council members Jeffrey Booker and John Lamia are running for reelection. They are being challenged by Democrat Marc Leckstein. In the mayoral race, current Mayor Brian Kelly is running for reelection unopposed.
Jeffrey Booker (R): “Bitterness and rancor in Washington lead many to believe that’s how it is at all levels of government. That just leads to feelings of apathy down to the local level suppressing voter turnout. It was the late House Speaker Tip O’Neill who said that ‘all politics is local.’ While I may not share the former Speaker’s partisan affiliation, I agree with his sentiment on local politics. In Sea Bright, our council works collaboratively on local issues. I’m a lifelong Republican, but partisan politics has never interfered with how we’ve made governing decisions on our governing body and I’m proud of that.
All politics is indeed local and Sea Brighters can take pride in the work we’ve done on council.”
John Lamia (R) (no photo): “Local elections are so important because elected officials help steer the municipality ship. That direction should reflect the community’s interest and desired outcomes, and a key ingredient becomes evident when the majority casts their vote.
Local elections in Sea Bright have been won and lost by a short handful of votes, represented by less than half the Sea Bright population.
Council candidates are elected for a three-year term. The mayor is elected for a four-year term. The election represents the voice of the community for these posts.
Many movements that helped to create federal law had their roots at the local level, so the local election influences much more than it appears on the surface.
Sea Bright elected officials enact, modify and support local laws. Sea Bright elected officials make decisions on spending of local, county, state and federal dollars. Sea Bright elected officials also make decisions on community activities, hiring of employees, and are expected to respond to community needs during their term.
Local elected officials make ongoing decisions regarding: public safety; parks and recreation; public works, such as streets, sewers, building and equipment maintenance; flood mitigation; police, fire departments and emergency medical systems (EMS); library services; education; rental activity and affordable housing; public transit; alcohol and marijuana ordinances; and taxes.
Beginning at election time, the voice of the community should be heard loud and clear, and that all starts with turnout at the polls. Vote! It is your right, your privilege and for each of us, a responsibility.”
Marc Leckstein (D): “I have always believed the importance of our local council elections too often gets lost in the midst of national and state politics. People forget that at the end of the day, our local government has more impact on our daily lives than anything that happens in Trenton or Washington, D.C.
Issues such as school regionalization, flood control, public works, beach maintenance, zoning and Airbnb regulations are all local issues that your borough council has control over.
We need to ensure we have the right representation on council to tackle these matters and I believe I am the one that can best make that happen.
In order to get out the vote we just need to communicate with our residents the importance of these local elections and implore upon them what is actually at stake. If you deliver the message well, the voters will respond. Voters love their town and only want to make sure it’s taken care of by someone who shares that love with the same intensity.”
Holmdel
There are currently three candidates running for two open seats on the Holmdel Township Committee. Current Mayor Domenico “DJ” Luccarelli, a Republican, is seeking reelection but did not respond to numerous requests by press time. (The mayor is not elected in Holmdel but rather chosen by fellow council members.) Newcomers Republican Joseph Romano and Democratic Kathleen Bauer are also in the running.
Kathleen Bauer (D) (no photo): “I think when you see the problems that have occurred – those are the (Horn) Antenna, the fire department – those are problems that occurred that people we elected made decisions on. So, we want to get involved so we know what kind of people are being elected. We’re hoping that they make informed and reasonable decisions about our town and how it is run… It’s really the people who need to be involved. It’s important for people to be aware of those factors that are affecting their lives. Certainly, the fire department is something that everyone should be concerned about.
And as far as how do we get more people to get involved? I don’t have that answer. Nor does anyone. I mean, you look around the country, it is the same story, it’s the same situation. Unless there’s an emotional issue, people don’t get involved in off years. Is it good? No. But it is what happens so maybe local people need to campaign more, but local people are also busy with other jobs and there’s only so much you can do to get the residents of a town to be more involved.”
Joseph Romano (R): “Voter turnout is a challenge in years like this. And these local elections do matter; it impacts our daily lives more than most people think.
The best strategy for anyone running a serious campaign is to have presence. Reminding voters that there is an election, making sure you have your signs out in good locations, doing a combination of mailers and voter texts, phone banking, and good old-fashioned walking to get in front of the people you are asking to vote for you. It’s also very important to lean on your local county committee for support to help spread the message. We are very lucky in Holmdel to have a very committed county committee and an extremely hard-working chairperson.
Last but not least is reminding voters to send in those mail-in ballots and vote early if possible. We make sure to remind voters at every event we attend to say that and often provide locations they can go to vote early.”
The article originally appeared in the October 26 – November 1, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
