In my Top 10 Reasons I Am Running post, I said that I wanted to run as an Independent to see what I find on a campaign and then share my experience and the lessons I learned with others who want to run.
Another reason I said I wanted to run is because competition can lead to improvements.
As I look at Fredon and many of its interconnected parts more closely, I believe that healthy competition during elections and a more accurate representation of our mix of views are reasons why we need others who love Fredon to run and provide voters with options in the next few years.
Please take a look at Fredon's election history since 2018 below. Although sometimes we have the chance to ”choose two” at once, I separated and labeled the seats on the Township Committee 1-5 to make it easier to visualize. I also noted when a new representative filled that same seat.
I can’t stress enough that our most recent Township Committee members deserve appreciation and credit because they have stepped up to serve.
From what I found on the Sussex County Clerk’s website, not one seat has been contested in the last five years of Primary elections - the elections that first help us choose the candidates to represent the Democratic and Republican candidates in the General Election.
This means, Republicans aren't even running against other Republicans in the Primary.
Democrats haven’t even put their names in the Primary at all.
Independents don‘t run in primaries, so you won’t find them there. They go right to the ballot of the General Election since they represent themselves and not a major party.
The General Elections chart for Fredon is below and shows how these elections have not been much better in terms of providing a choice of candidates either.
Only two seats have been contested.
I know what a very small town we are, so I understand that the pool of those willing to throw their name in has to be small too.
But, why haven't others run and given voters more options these last five years? I can guess a few of the reasons are because some residents:
Are unaware of the timing and process necessary to get their name on the ballot (it is easy, I swear!)
Have already served the community in other important roles
Don't have the time, energy, or motivation
Are too intimidated because of today's political climate.
I also wonder and hope we can start conversations about:
Who would be good candidates for leadership roles in town?
How can we support those willing to step up, so they don’t have to be alone when they put themselves out there?
Are intimidation and attacks - online and off - limiting the amount of people willing to risk their personal and professional reputations?
I can hear some of you from across town now saying, “Ah, Laura? Shouldn‘t this message’s title be the ‘Empty Ballots’ instead?” Maybe, but by filling the empty seats reserved for the public at Township meetings of all kinds, I’m confident more people would find the motivation to serve. Many of the boards and committees are working on so many important issues, topics, and events that it can be difficult to keep track or stay quiet in the audience once the conversations start.
I have no doubt that there are many of us who love Fredon too, so please think about how you can contribute to the Township either by attending meetings to provide public input, volunteering, running for office, or serving as a positive support system for someone who does run.
As always, please also reach out if you have thoughts on the topic or are interested in running too.
My campaign is almost coming to a close, so I‘m just about ready to share what I’ve learned!
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