While incumbents coasted to victory in Morristown on Tuesday, there was some nail-biting in neighboring Morris Township, where razor-thin margins and recounts are almost the norm.
“I think it’s a right of passage in Morris Township at this point,” joked Committeeman Mark Gyorfy, who appeared to narrowly win a second term on a ticket with Tara Olivo-Moore, to preserve the Democrats’ majority on the governing body.
But unofficial results showed Republican incumbents easily winning re-election to the Morris County Board of Commissioners, and to state Senate and Assembly seats in Districts 25 (which includes Morristown and Morris Township) and District 26 (which includes Morris Plains).
Statewide, the race between Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli was too close to call on Tuesday. But Ciattarelli won Morris County by about 25,000 votes.
On two statewide ballot questions, county voters overwhelmingly opposed betting on college teams and events, and overwhelmingly supported letting nonprofits fund their operations with proceeds from bingo games and raffles.
Voter turnout across the county was 40.5 percent.
MORRIS TOWNSHIP
At first, it looked like Republicans Joe Calvanelli and Sandra Garcia were on track to restore GOP control to a municipality that until very recently had been solidly red. They won at polling places on Election Day.
But when vote-by-mail ballots were factored into the numbers posted by the Morris County clerk’s office later on election night, Democrats Gyorfy and Olivo-Moore had leads of between 200 and 300 or so votes.
More than twice as many Democrats as Republicans requested vote-by-mail ballots in Morris Township, according to Gyorfy, and preliminary numbers suggest the VBM count favored the Democrats’ ticket by a margin of around three-to-one.
Gyorfy stopped short of a victory speech, however. All results are unofficial. Tallies from people who voted early had not been posted. And mailed ballots postmarked by Nov. 2 still can be received and tabulated for six more days.
“We are encouraged by the turnout of our neighbors in this year’s election and are grateful for the support we have received throughout our community today,” Gyorfy said. “Tara and I are both looking forward to seeing the final results once all the remaining votes are counted by the Board of Elections.”
Calvanelli could not be reached for comment.
MORRISTOWN
Democratic council members Toshiba Foster and David Silva were re-elected (third term and second term, respectively) along with running mate Nathan Umbriac, making his first council bid.
They bested former Democratic Councilwoman Michelle Harris and fellow Independents Kristi Dimogerodakis and John Thomas Jr. by nearly three-to-one margins, according to the unofficial figures.
Foster’s total topped all council candidates even though she missed weeks of door-to-door campaigning because of surgery.
Mayor Tim Dougherty outpolled them all, running unopposed for a fourth term. Although he lacked an opponent, this may have been his most challenging election year.
In February, his wife pled to a minor charge in a state bribery probe and received probation. The investigation spurred “Anyone But Tim” opposition online, and the police department came out against him.
When he easily fended off a primary challenge, an old political nemesis re-emerged, vowing to wage a tough Independent campaign.
That grudge match fizzled when courts ruled former Mayor Donald Cresitello lives in Manasquan, not Morristown.
Dougherty got endorsements from Gov. Murphy –who also nominated the mayor’s closest advisor for a judgeship — and from Sen. Cory Booker and Rep. Mikie Sherrill. Booker made robocalls for Dougherty and his “Morristown First” team this week, and Sherrill sent text messages on their behalf.
The mayor pointed to the election results as vindication.
“This is truly a statement, because there was a lot of bad stuff being said about myself and other people by (the Independents’) campaign. And you know what? As I said before, negativity don’t work. You gotta produce, and be positive. And that’s what we do,” Dougherty told jubilant volunteers and supporters at the Democratic headquarters on Washington Street.
Police and other town employees “should stay out of politics,” he added.
Dimogerodakis, a bakery owner, contended her side lost to “dark money out of Washington DC,” and said “corrupt power coupled with a rubber-stamp council continue to control the government in Morristown!”
Harris declined to comment, saying she was awaiting final election results. She entered the fall campaign carrying a heavy burden–the death of her son.
Campaign finance reports show Dougherty and his council slate raised nearly $42,000 for the primary and spent most of it. For the general election, the most recent report indicates the Morristown First ticket raised almost $16,000, and spent more than $18,000.
Developers were among the largest donors.
The Harris ticket raised about $8,000, according to records filed with the state. Morristown bar owner Jimmy Cavanaugh, a critic of the mayor, gave the most money.
Dougherty said his agenda for term four includes nailing down the town’s purchase of the historic post office near the Green. The buildout of the M Station office park and ordinances regulating cannabis dispensaries also will be important, he said.
“We’ll continue to work together as an administration and council to bring the best product forward that we can for Morristown, that benefits all of our town, every level. That’s what we’ve done for the last 12 years, and we’re going to continue for the next four,” Dougherty said.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 25 (includes Morristown, Morris Township)
For state Sen. Anthony M. Bucco, Tuesday’s victory was his third in as many years. First, the Republican won re-election to the Assembly seat he occupied for a decade. Last year, it was a special election to replace his late father in the Senate.
“It has been a tough three years for me,” he said, expressing thanks to voters for placing trust in him, and promising a continued common-sense approach in Trenton. “I think people just want their old New Jersey back.”
Assemblywoman Aura Dunn won her first full term, after winning a special election last year for Bucco’s vacated Assembly seat. Assemblyman Brian Bergen of Denville won his second term.
In campaign mailings, the Democratic slate of Morris Township Mayor Jeff Grayzel, Mountain Lakes Mayor Lauren Barnett and Wharton Councilwoman Patricia L. Veres painted the GOP incumbents as rabid Trumpers.
“The voters of my district are smarter than that,” Bucco said. “As a candidate you need to give the voters a vision of what you will do for the district. We did that and the voters responded.
Grayzel could not be reached for comment. After devoting years to flipping Morris Township’s governing body from red to blue, he sacrificed his local seat to run for state Senate.
Over the years, Grayzel ran for the Morris Township Committee 10 times, winning three separate terms, with three recounts along the way. At a party convention in 2020, he came within two votes of clinching the Democratic nomination to face Bucco in that year’s special election.
MORRIS SCHOOL DISTRICT
Three people competed for two Morris Township seats on the Morris School District regional board.
The winners were incumbent Linda Murphy (“Put Kids First”) and educator Kathleen “Katie” Cole (Excellence for Students).
Dawn Teresa Parkot (“A Real Education”) did not win, despite an inspirational backstory.
Legally blind and requiring a computer to speak, Parkot has cerebral palsy and rheumatoid arthritis. Yet she earned degrees from Notre Dame and started a nonprofit advocacy group. Parkot campaigned for more inclusive district policies for disabled students, while slamming state mask mandates for students during the pandemic.
LEGISLATIVE DISTRICT 26 (includes Morris Plains)
Republican Sen. Joe Pennacchio of Montville defeated Democrat Christine Clarke of Lake Hoptacong.
On the Assembly side, incumbent Republican Jay Webber of Morris Plains and Christian Barranco of Jefferson Township prevailed over Democrats Melissa Brown Blaeuer of West Milford and Pamela Fadden of Jefferson.
MORRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:
Republican incumbents Deborah Smith (Denville), John Krickus (Long Valley) and Commission Director Stephen Shaw (Mountain Lakes) handily defeated Democrats Aaron (A.J.) Oliver of Morristown, Thomas T.C. McCourt of Dover and Dina Mikulka of Mine Hill. Ederle Vaughan of Morristown also ran, representing the Working Families Party.
Oliver, Morristown’s Democratic chairman, encountered unexpected hurdles last month when the grassroots group NJ 11th for Change and the Morris County Democratic Women’s Caucus withdrew their endorsements after learning Oliver had lobbied for anti-abortion legislation.
“I believe we are, and should be, a big-tent party,” Oliver said on Tuesday. “We have room to disagree on issues. What unites us is we are all Democrats.”
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