Three committee seats on ballot: Dems seek candidates, incumbents make plans
By BILL BARLOW/Special to the Sentinel
UPPER TOWNSHIP – With three for the five seats on Upper Township Committee set to be on the ballot, this year’s municipal election has the potential to bring major change to the local governing body; all the more with the announcement last week that after eight terms in office, Mayor Rich Palombo will not run for re-election.
The two other incumbents whose terms are up this year plan to seek re-election.
“I’m definitely going to run,” said Committeeman Ed Barr, who has run with Palombo in several previous races.
Committeewoman Kim Hayes also plans to run to return to the board. But Palombo’s decision has impacted her. Hayes now plans to seek a full term on the board.
“As of now, I filed a letter of intent with the Republican leader to seek a full three-year term,” she said on Friday.
Hayes was appointed to complete the unexpired term of Hobie Young, who resigned from committee in the midst of an outcry over posts he made to social media. While he saw some support locally, many Republicans joined Democrats in decrying his decision to share altered images of Kamala Harris, then a candidate and now the vice president.
Young later sought to rescind his resignation, but committee members unanimously appointed Hayes, chosen from three names submitted by the local Republican organization.
Young did not respond to a request for comment as to whether he would run for election to return to committee.
Larry Trulli, the Upper Township Republican Leader, said candidates have until Wednesday, Feb. 24 to submit their names for consideration for the party’s endorsement. He said he is seeking a legal opinion as to whether Hayes can run for the full term.
“If procedure allows me, then Kim will move to the full term,” he said.
Trulli said he could not give further information about who else may run, but did say three people had expressed interest so far. The local party committee will decide on candidates to endorse, which means they will be on the party line for this year’s primary election June 8.
Candidates can also seek the nomination by filing petitions with the Township Clerk in March. Over the years, Upper Township has seen successful challenges to the party nominees in primaries.
Local Democrats are working to come up with a full slate of three candidates in the local election. Party officials are contacting potential candidates.
“At this time, we do not have any official candidates to announce,” said Lenora Boninfante, Upper Township’s Democratic leader. She said the Democratic Committee and Democratic Club have been speaking to potential candidates. “No one at this time has committed to running.”
One person in the discussion is John Amenhauser, who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Curtis Corson’s run for re-election last year. Amenhauser said he is still considering, but is leaning away from running this year.
Another former Democratic candidate for Township Committee, Don Oral, said it could be a challenge finding three candidates this year. He was sure he would not be one of them.
“For me it was one and done,” he said. He ran in 2019. After the race, in which he trailed more than 1,000 votes behind Republican incumbents Young and John Coggins, Oral posted to his campaign Facebook page that sometimes you’re the windshield, sometimes you’re the bug.
“Tonight I was the bug. But I feel like a winner thinking about all the great people I worked with and met during the campaign,” he wrote.
The Township Committee is entirely Republican and has been for years. The GOP has held the majority for even longer.
Those interviewed for this story said Palombo’s decision to set down his gavel at the end of the year – a gavel he has said he has never used – will have a major impact on the election and on the township.
“How do you replace a 24-year incumbent?” Trulli mused.
Palombo said he decided it was time after eight terms in office and more than two decades as mayor. Barr said the two have been friends for years, and credited Palombo with helping put the township on the right track.
“He’s been a hell of a friend, he’s been a hell of a mentor and he’ll be sorely missed,” Barr said.
After last year’s bruising presidential race, the governor’s seat is the top of the ticket for 2021, with members of the state Assembly also on the ballot. Ocean City’s Antwan McClellan has indicated that he plans to run for a second term, as will his fellow Republican incumbent Erik Simonsen.
With one seat up for a vote on the county Board of Commissioners, which until this year was known as the Board of Freeholders, the Democrats have not yet announced a candidate.
Longtime Republican member Leonard Desiderio did not respond to texts asking if he planned to seek another term.
Gov. Phil Murphy plans to seek another term, in which New Jersey’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be a major issue. Several Republicans have already announced plans to challenge him, including former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli and businessman Hirsh Singh.