Sunday, November 8, 2026
Home Blog Page 2

Letter to the Editor: After Midterm Losses, Morris County Republican Leadership Must Go

By
Letter to the editor
-
0

Dear Editor:

The Republican Party in Parsippany is notorious for inaction and the inability to deliver on promises to their committee chairs. For years, its members have reached out to the Morris County Republican Committee (MCRC) sounding the alarm. No help ever came, leaving its committee members stranded and without resources to push the ticket for the midterm.

Then came Tuesday, when it became all too obvious that our leaders were asleep at the wheel.

The GOP hit rock bottom shortly after it was all tallied up. Morris County saw Joe Hathaway fall to Analilia Mejia for the second time in a single year. Justin Murphy lost to Cory Booker. Tom Kean Jr. must surrender his seat to Rebecca Bennett. The new reality is that Morris County will not have a single Republican representing it in Congress.

To add insult to injury, Commissioner Tayfun Selen lost his seat, one that was held by the GOP for over 50 years. This position was a stronghold, one that the generations of Republicans were proud to protect and strengthen. For the first time since 1973, it has fallen without a fight. Possibly even passively surrendered.

The Morris County Republican Committee is very much responsible for what it is today. The voters trusted them to advance winnable candidates; they did not. They handed the Republican Party a slate of losses and wasted the time of every volunteer and committee member along the way. Those who showed up to do the work deserve more than weak excuses and deflections from MCRC.

Winning elections moving forward will require change, and waiting will not benefit the party or the voters who remain aligned. There is only one quick and attainable solution to move things in the right direction, and that is to get rid of the people who steered it off course. With that said, MCRC Chairwoman Laura Ali and Vice Chair Peter King need to go. Immediately. For their own dignity, they should step down together. For party dignity, they should be voted out. Whichever comes first.

Senator Anthony Bucco shares responsibility in the failure of Tuesday; he is the Senate Minority Leader. He needs to show that he can lead not only in Trenton, but also in Morris County, home to so many of his voters. He has had enough time to watch losses pile up, allow infighting to fracture committees, and let the local GOP grow barren of purpose and membership. He could have stepped in long ago, before it ever got so bad. He could have done something to ensure that all the committee members and volunteers who donated their time, effort, and reputation were not spent on hard-earned losses. He didn’t do that, and that’s one of the reasons he will face a tough fight for re-election next year. It is likely that he will need everyone behind him next round, and it’s reasonable to doubt that he deserves them at this point.

It’s time for accountability and leadership, and it’s time for Senator Bucco to step up for Morris County and put an end to this net loss for the Republican Party. Senator Bucco should finally put his weight behind his voters with a public call for new leadership at the MCRC.

If he doesn’t, and remains content with the way things are and went, voters will likely question what kind of backroom deals can keep someone like Bucco deaf to calls for help from Morris County, and quiet after such a devastating election. One could consider that the only solution to this will be a wave of primary challengers to Republican legislators who seem indifferent to poor leadership in their ranks.

The MCRC really smashed the GOP against the guardrail this time. Don’t let them drive it off a cliff next.

Erick Zimmermann
Parsippany

State to Hold Regional School Funding Public Forum at County College of Morris

By
Frank Cahill
-
0
Senator Anthony M. Bucco (R-25)

RANDOLPH — The New Jersey Department of Education will hold a regional school funding public forum at County College of Morris on Tuesday, December 8, after Senator Anthony M. Bucco pushed for a session in the Highlands region.

“I pushed for a school funding forum here in the Highlands so our communities could be heard, and I’m glad NJDOE is bringing one to the County College of Morris,” Senator Bucco said.

“We know the challenges our schools face. This is our chance to share them directly with the people working on New Jersey’s school funding system, and I hope you’ll take part,” he said.

The forum will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Davidson Conference Room at County College of Morris, 214 Center Grove Road. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Residents who wish to speak must arrive early and sign up in person. Comments are limited to three minutes, with speaking opportunities offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Registration is available by clicking here.

Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.

Interstate 80 Left Lane Closures in Both Directions in Mount Arlington Through Monday

By
Frank Cahill
-
0

MOUNT ARLINGTON — Long-term left lane closures in both directions of Interstate 80 began Wednesday morning in Mount Arlington as the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Bridges over Howard Boulevard replacement project advances.

From 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, November 4, until 9:00 a.m. Monday, November 9, a single left lane is scheduled to be closed on Interstate 80 eastbound and westbound from mile post 29.8 to mile post 32.3. The closures are needed to cure the concrete that connects the newly constructed bridge decks over Howard Boulevard. At least two lanes will remain open in each direction.

Motorists are advised to slow down, use caution and expect delays when traveling through the work zone.

The $65.4 million federally funded project will replace the existing bridges carrying Interstate 80 eastbound and westbound over Howard Boulevard/County Route 516, which are in poor condition. Improvements include raising the vertical clearance of each bridge, widening the shoulders, lengthening the acceleration and deceleration lanes on Interstate 80, and widening the ramps to and from Howard Boulevard. The Howard Boulevard intersection will also be reconfigured to improve traffic flow.

The project also includes upgraded traffic signals and lighting, and sidewalks and crosswalks that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Sidewalks will be extended to the Mount Arlington Train Station for improved pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility. The project is expected to be completed next summer.

The timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists can check the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s traffic information website, www.511nj.org, for construction updates and real-time travel information.

Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.

Letter to the Editor: Morris County GOP Leaders Should Resign After Election Losses

By
Letter to the editor
-
0

Dear Editor:

As of Tuesday night, there is not a single Republican in Washington who represents one resident of Morris County. And for the first time since 1973, a Democrat will sit on the Morris County Board of County Commissioners.

Tom Kean Jr. lost the 7th. Joe Hathaway lost the 11th for the second time this year. Democrats now hold both congressional districts that cover this county. Then Chris Russo beat Tayfun Selen. No Democrat had won a county-wide office in Morris County since 1973, and that streak ended on the watch of the people currently running the county party.

I am a former Morris County Young Republican, chairman of the America First Republicans of New Jersey, and I was chosen by the Trump campaign to serve as a statewide delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention. I have given most of my adult life to this party. So let me ask the question nobody at the top of it seems willing to ask: how was this allowed to happen?

It was not a national wave, and it was not the voters. For years the people running the Morris County Republican Committee have presided over one collapse after another without once being held to account.

Last November we lost three Assembly seats. We lost Mine Hill, Wharton, Rockaway Township and Boonton. We lost Parsippany, the largest town in the county, the mayor’s office and the council in a single night, after a primary that split the local party in half while county leadership stood by and watched. In April we lost the 11th District by better than twenty points. On Tuesday we lost the rest of Congress and a county commissioner seat with it.

Infighting at the local level is nothing new. What is new is that nobody at the top lifts a finger to stop it. Strong county leadership steps in, brings the factions to the table, and makes sure Republicans walk into Election Day united. That is the job. Chairwoman Laura Ali and Vice Chair Peter King have not done it, in town after town, and it has cost us seat after seat.

What troubles me more is who has said nothing about it. Not one Republican who represents this county in Trenton has spoken a word. They have the platform and the standing to demand better, and they have chosen to sit quiet. Silence is a choice, and Tuesday night is what it bought.

Enough. Ali and King should resign, if not voluntarily, then forcefully, and the officials who would not say so when it mattered should expect real Republicans to challenge them in their next primaries.

Senator Anthony Bucco, this part is for you. You are not only the senator for Legislative District 25. You are the leader of every Republican in the State Senate, and that makes you our leader of Morris County. Show your leadership. Laura Ali and Peter King need to give up their positions. This is not about an election. It is about saving Morris County. Please show your leadership.

Yours truly,
Mike Crispi
Chairman, America First Republicans of New Jersey

Mihalko and Cahill Re-Elected to Hanover Township Committee

By
Frank Cahill
-
0
Brian J. Cahill, Michael A. Mihalko, Ronald F. Francioli, John L. Ferramosca, and Thomas "Ace" Gallagher

HANOVER TOWNSHIP — Republican Committeemen Michael A. Mihalko and Brian J. Cahill have won re-election to the Hanover Township Committee, according to unofficial results posted by the Morris County Clerk as of 6:41 a.m. Wednesday, November 4, following the general election on Tuesday, November 3.

Mihalko led the field with 3,922 votes, or 38.17 percent, followed by Cahill with 3,754 votes, or 36.54 percent. Democrat Ahmad Saleh received 2,500 votes, or 24.33 percent. Write-in candidates received 98 votes, or 0.95 percent. A total of 10,274 votes were cast in the race for the two seats.

Mihalko and Cahill ran as a team and won the Republican primary in June, defeating former Committeeman Robert Brueno.

Mihalko previously served eight years as a Whippany Fire Commissioner before joining the Township Committee. Cahill served ten years on the Hanover Township Board of Education, including two years as Board President, before his election to the committee.

The win keeps Republicans in control of all five seats on the Township Committee, alongside Mayor Thomas “Ace” Gallagher and Committeemen John L. Ferramosca and Ronald F. Francioli.

In the Hanover Township Board of Education race, the three unopposed candidates were elected. Joseph Kowalski received 3,695 votes, or 33.16 percent; William McCabe received 3,688 votes, or 33.10 percent; and Christopher Mattessich received 3,571 votes, or 32.05 percent. Write-in votes totaled 189, or 1.70 percent.

The results remain unofficial until certified by the Morris County Clerk.

Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.

Verga Unseats Mayor Karr in Morris Plains; DeNova and Connor Win Council Seats

By
Frank Cahill
-
0

MORRIS PLAINS — Councilwoman Nancy Verga has defeated two-term Mayor Jason C. Karr, and fellow Democrats Rosaria DeNova and Lee (Lusardi) Connor have won the two open seats on the Borough Council, according to unofficial results from the Morris County general election on Tuesday, November 3.

Verga received 1,817 votes, or 58.41 percent, to 1,283 votes, or 41.24 percent, for Karr. Write-in candidates received 11 votes, or 0.35 percent. A total of 3,111 votes were cast in the mayoral race.

The race pitted two Democrats against each other. The municipal Democratic organization endorsed Verga, along with DeNova and Connor, earlier this year. Karr, who became the borough’s first Democratic mayor in 32 years when he was first elected, chose not to face Verga in the June primary and instead ran as an independent. No Republican filed to run for mayor.

In the Borough Council race, DeNova led the field with 1,775 votes, or 28.38 percent, followed by Connor with 1,768 votes, or 28.27 percent.

Republican Sheryl McNichol received 1,364 votes, or 21.81 percent, and Republican Councilman Arthur J. “Art” Bruhn, Jr. received 1,336 votes, or 21.36 percent. Write-in candidates received 11 votes, or 0.18 percent.

Voters could choose up to two candidates in the council race. A total of 6,254 votes were cast. Borough Council members serve three-year terms.

The results remain unofficial until certified by the Morris County Clerk.

Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.

Muilenburg, Hilton and Menard Win Mountain Lakes Borough Council Seats

By
Frank Cahill
-
0

MOUNTAIN LAKES — Mayor Melissa Muilenburg, Deputy Mayor Tom Menard and newcomer Andrew Hilton have won the three open seats on the Mountain Lakes Borough Council, according to unofficial results from the Morris County general election on Tuesday, November 3.

Muilenburg led the field with 1,264 votes, or 25.26 percent. Hilton followed with 1,208 votes, or 24.14 percent, and Menard received 1,201 votes, or 24.00 percent. The three Democrats ran together on a “Getting Things Done” platform.

Republicans Mark A. Stuart and Lucas A. Stelling trailed with 656 votes, or 13.11 percent, and 655 votes, or 13.09 percent, respectively. Write-in candidates received 20 votes, or 0.40 percent.

Voters could choose up to three candidates in the race. A total of 5,004 votes were cast.

Under the borough’s Council-Manager form of government, the mayor and deputy mayor are chosen by council members from among themselves at the annual reorganization meeting in January.

The results remain unofficial until certified by the Morris County Clerk.

Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.

Wilsusen Wins Third Term as Jefferson Township Mayor; Senatore, Galfo and Ioffredo Elected to Council

By
Frank Cahill
-
0
Ioffredo will serve the remainder of the term vacated by former Councilman Dan Schultz, who resigned in July.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP — Mayor Eric F. Wilsusen has been elected to a third four-year term, and Republicans Melissa Senatore, Thomas G. Galfo and Yvonne Ioffredo have won the three Township Council seats on the ballot, according to unofficial results from the Morris County general election on Tuesday, November 3.

Wilsusen, who ran unopposed, received 5,541 votes, or 97.50 percent of the 5,683 votes cast in the mayoral race. Write-in candidates accounted for 142 votes, or 2.50 percent.

In the race for two full four-year Township Council terms, where voters could choose two candidates, Councilwoman Senatore led with 5,280 votes, or 49.37 percent. Galfo, a local business owner, lifelong resident and Land Use Board member, followed with 5,252 votes, or 49.11 percent. Write-in votes totaled 162, or 1.51 percent.

In the only contested council race, Councilwoman Ioffredo won the unexpired term with 3,656 votes, or 49.11 percent. Democrat Christopher A. Peters received 2,732 votes, or 36.70 percent, and Independent Alejandro Torres received 1,047 votes, or 14.07 percent. Ioffredo will serve the remainder of the term vacated by former Councilman Dan Schultz, who resigned in July.

Wilsusen, Senatore and Galfo ran together as a ticket after winning the Republican primary in June, when Wilsusen defeated challenger Christian Barranco.

A lifelong Jefferson Township resident, Wilsusen served 31 years with the Jefferson Township Police Department, retiring as Deputy Chief of Police, before first being elected mayor.

The results remain unofficial until certified by the Morris County Clerk.

Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.

Mejia Wins Full Term in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District

By
Frank Cahill
-
0
Analilia Mejia

MORRIS COUNTY — Democratic Congresswoman Analilia Mejia won a full two-year term representing New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating Republican Joe Hathaway for the second time this year. The Associated Press called the race for Mejia Tuesday night.

As of 10:30 p.m., unofficial results showed Mejia with 76,823 votes, or 55.45 percent, to 60,310 votes, or 43.53 percent, for Hathaway. Independent Alan Bond had 1,113 votes.

The race was a rematch of the April special election, which Mejia won 60 percent to 40 percent to fill the seat left vacant when Mikie Sherrill became governor.

The 11th District includes Parsippany and much of Morris County, along with parts of Essex and Passaic counties.

Mejia, of Glen Ridge, is a progressive activist who previously led the New Jersey Working Families Party and served as national political director for Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign. She won a crowded Democratic primary for the special election in February, edging out former Congressman Tom Malinowski among 11 candidates, and faced no significant opposition in the primary for a full term. She is the first Latina to represent the district.

Hathaway, a Randolph Township Council member and former mayor, ran as a moderate, pragmatic Republican. His campaign received the endorsement of the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association.

Mejia’s new term begins in January.

Copyright 2026 Zoomus Marketing, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission from the publisher.

Russo Leads Selen in Early Returns for Morris County Commissioner

By
Frank Cahill
-
0
Morris County Commissioner Candidate Chris Russo with Parsippany-Troy Hills Mayor Pulkit Desai

MORRIS COUNTY — Democrat Chris Russo holds a strong lead over Republican incumbent Commissioner Tayfun Selen in the race for the Morris County Board of County Commissioners. As of 10:30 p.m., unofficial results showed Russo with 102,627 votes to 80,559 votes, or 43.93 percent, 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.

123...730Page 2 of 730

RECENT POSTS

BUSINESS BRIEFS

LOCAL COMMUNITIES

ABOUT US

Morris Focus was founded in 2017 and is published in print and online formats. Its mission is to provide timely and accurate news coverage to Morris County residents and promote community engagement and involvement. The newspaper covers various topics, including local government, education, business, and sports. We can be reached by calling (973) 559-6000—a member of the Parsippany Area Chamber of Commerce and the Morris County Chamber of Commerce.

Contact us: [email protected]

FOLLOW US

© 2024 Zoomus Marketing, LLC.

Translate »