By Stephen Appezzato
As voters head to the polls in just a few weeks and mail-in ballots have already been sent, many residents across the country will face an unusual situation: they won’t have a choice in their local elections. Thousands of local races are going uncontested, meaning only one or even no candidates are running for an open position. This trend is evident across the nation, and the Two River area is no exception.
This election season, 11 towns in The Two River Times coverage area will hold elections, with about half of the municipal government races going uncontested.
In Rumson, council members John Conklin and Sarah Pomphrey are seeking reelection without any challengers. The same is true in Oceanport, where council members William Deerin and Michael O’Brien are running unopposed for full-term appointments, and council member Patricia Cooper is pursuing a one-year unexpired term. Little Silver follows a similar pattern with council member Chris Smith and Republican newcomer Laurette Vilardi running unopposed. In Colts Neck, Mayor Frank Rizzuto and his running mate Dan Buzzetta are the only candidates competing for two township committee seats, while Highlands council members Karen Chelak and Leo Cervantes also face no opposition for their seats.
In Shrewsbury, where two Republicans and two Democrats are vying for two borough council seats, the mayoral race remains uncontested; Mayor Kim Eulner is running for reelection with- out opposition. The situation is similar in Holmdel, where Mayor Rocco Impreveduto is seeking another term unchallenged.
In each instance – excluding Highlands, which has nonpartisan elections – these are Republican candidates facing no Democratic challengers.
In a statement, Monmouth County Democrats said the organization was proud to pick up dozens of local Democratic seats last year, but “County Republicans have focused on running very negative campaigns locally, which have not only failed to gain them electoral success, but also turns good people off from running for office.”
“Unfortunately, these towns were some that were impacted by these actions, and no one stepped up to run despite a good deal of outreach from the County Democrats. We will step up those efforts again in 2025 so voters have a choice at the ballot box,” the statement concluded.
Why, even in one-party dominant towns, are uncontested elections worrying?
According to Micah Rasmussen, an adjunct political science professor at Brookdale Community College and director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University, uncontested elections can have significant implications for both government accountability and voter engagement.
“I think it sends a terrible signal to local officials that nobody’s paying attention,” he said. Rasmussen’s work at the institute focuses on providing analysis of government, policies and elections in the Garden State.
When officials don’t face competition, they can “do what they are doing without fear that anybody’s looking over their shoulder,” he said.
According to Ballotpedia, an analysis of over 10,000 local races last year showed that more than 60% were uncontested. In New Jersey alone, 818 positions on ballots had only one or no candidates. BallotReady, another election analysis organization, also found that 2,500 races across the country had no candidates at all – representing 10% of all elections. The offices most likely to be vacant include county clerk, sheriff, school board, county commission and city council. In cases where no candidates run, the governing body often appoints someone to fill the role.
“When they (public officials) think that nobody’s paying attention, that’s when people do things that happen when they think nobody is paying attention,” Rasmussen said. He pointed out that this leads to elected officials taking reelection for granted, neglecting their constituents and, in extreme cases, engaging in corruption. “None of those things are good for the public,” he said.
Even though residents are constantly reminded of their civic duties – whether through social media, lawn signs or TV and print advertisements – an alarming number of local elections still go uncontested. Rasmussen believes several key factors contribute to this problem.
First, people are simply overwhelmed with the demands of daily life.
“People are busy with the rest of their lives, their families, their homes, their jobs, their activities, and serving an office is probably pretty low on the list of things that people feel is going to make a difference in their lives, or in the lives of their families,” Rasmussen said.
In addition to busy schedules, there’s a growing stigma associated with politics, particularly in today’s hyper-partisan environment. “Politics is a bit of a dirty word right now,” Rasmussen said. “It’s not something that normal people want to be a part of. I think a lot of people want to run in the other direction when they hear ‘politics.’ It’s the last thing anybody wants to do,” he added.
During election years with uncontested races, primary elections sometimes have increased importance. These elections offer members within political par ties an opportunity to choose who will represent them. However, Rasmussen noted that even within parties, competitive primaries are sometimes discouraged, further reducing voter choice.
While these factors are difficult to control, Rasmussen noted one area where improvement is possible: fostering a greater sense of the value and impact of local government.
“Where we really could do a better job is with the sense that it’s not going to make a difference,” he said. Many people feel getting involved in local government won’t result in better decisions for their town, or that one-party dominance, which is evident across the uncontested races in the Two River area, renders elections meaningless.
While state and federal elections dominate the public’s attention, local elections play a crucial role in shaping everyday life. Local officials are responsible for deciding how tax dollars are spent, enacting ordinances that determine what residents can and can’t do in their towns, and making decisions that affect the quality of life in the community.
“Having good local representatives can absolutely make a difference,” Rasmussen said. “One person running who’s committed to doing the right things and who’s committed to bringing a good perspective to government can absolutely make a difference in whether your town is well-run or not well-run,” he said.
The article originally appeared in the October 3 – October 9, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
