MORRIS COUNTY — As the polls closed Tuesday night, Democrat Chris Russo held a strong lead over Republican incumbent Commissioner Tayfun Selen in the race for the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, with unofficial early returns showing Russo with almost 25,000 votes to about 16,000 for Selen.
If the results hold, Russo would become the first Democrat to serve on the county’s governing board since Douglas Romaine was elected in 1973.
Russo is a member of the Morristown Council and works as a pharmaceutical representative at Novartis. He won a council seat in 2023 after a competitive Democratic primary and ran for commissioner with the endorsement of the Morris County Democratic Committee and the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters.
Morris Focus reached out to Morris County Republican Committee Chair Laura Ali for comment but did not receive a response.
Selen’s Record on the Board
Selen, a former Chatham Township mayor, joined the board in February 2020, when Morris County Republicans selected him at a convention to fill the unexpired term of Heather Darling, who left to become Morris County Surrogate. He won the seat outright that November, defeating Democrat Cary Amaro 52 percent to 48 percent and running more than 6,300 votes ahead of the top of the Republican ticket.
In 2023, Selen defeated Paul DeGroot in the Republican primary and went on to win a second three-year term over Democrat Jonathan Sackett, 54 percent to 46 percent. He served as Commissioner Director last year.
During the campaign, Selen pointed to the county’s fiscal management, including the AAA bond rating Morris County has held for 40 years, and pledged to continue the county’s path of fiscal responsibility. He was endorsed by the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters and Operating Engineers Local 825.
The Current Board
All seven members of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners are currently Republicans:
- Stephen H. Shaw, Director
- John Krickus, Deputy Director
- Douglas R. Cabana
- Thomas J. Mastrangelo
- Christine Myers
- Tayfun Selen
- Deborah Smith
A Russo victory would leave Republicans with a six-to-one majority on the board.
Results are unofficial until certified by the Morris County Clerk. Vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by Election Day and provisional ballots are still to be counted.
Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.
