Maplewood Democratic Primary

I just learned that there will be a Primary for the Democratic nomination for the TC seat being vacated by Frank McGehee. The Democratic Committee to be neutral and open has endorsed both candidate even though they are running against each other. 

They are Deb Engel and Kurt Kiley. Not sure if I have the spelling right.


What issues should be addressed by the candidates?


It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.


yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

Alternatively, by not endorsing that means there is no candidate on "the line" (Edited to add: or alone "on the line", per Judge Stanv's comment below), as discussed previously on the MOL.

Maplewood Online - McGehee will not seek re-election in 2022 (worldwebs.com)


A District leader who told me about this and who is militantly "anti-line" told me that both candidates will be on the line.

As to the idea that they did not feel strongly about either perhaps the opposite is true. Otherwise they would have looked for someone else.

Since the Republican Party in Maplewood has disintegrated this is a way to strengthen Democracy.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

What issues should be addressed by the candidates?

Just a few that occur to me (not necessarily in the order of importance).  Police/community relations, shared services, (over)development of multifamily/multiuse buildings, aging infrastructure, pedestrian safety including traffic enforcement, (in)adequacy of available public transportation including but not limited to NJT and senior transportation, waste collection and recycling, reducing pollution including the ever-present leaf blower debate, equitable use of park and recreation resources including athletic field use, finding ways to keep taxes in check, ways in which the town does or does not communicate with the public, maintenance and (re)placement of town trees. Please add issues I have inadvertently left off my list.

ETA:  Emerging from the pandemic (we hope):  Economic, social, and health challenges in the coming year.  Affordable housing challenges.


yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 


sometimes I think we expect too much of first-time candidates for TC in terms of having a grasp of a multitude of issues.  For one thing, they are only going to be one vote among five, so how much can they really change the consensus on issues that have been on the township agenda for years (or decades) already?  What I'm looking for is whether or not they have a short list of priorities that they will champion. What are they going to bring to the township's agenda that may not already be getting attention? I won't speak for either candidate, because they'll be addressing voters directly soon enough.  But from what I know both of them have a few priorities that they will bring attention to.  The good news IMHO is that I think voters are going to have a tough choice deciding between two very qualified candidates.


ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 

I find this hard to believe, but perhaps this is the beginning of a new era in Maplewood's Democratic Party.

They have been far too powerful in choosing the next TC member(s), so this is a welcomed development.


yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 

I find this hard to believe, ...

Based on what?


nohero said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 

I find this hard to believe, ...

Based on what?

In several past primary elections, there have been multiple candidates worthy of endorsement but the Democratic Committee always chose a single candidate to endorse. 

Why change now?  Hopefully, they are trying to be less prescriptive and influential.


yahooyahoo said:

nohero said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 

I find this hard to believe, ...

Based on what?

In several past primary elections, there have been multiple candidates worthy of endorsement but the Democratic Committee always chose a single candidate to endorse. 

Why change now?  Hopefully, they are trying to be less prescriptive and influential.

there are articles in the Village Green that explain all this.


yahooyahoo said:

nohero said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 

I find this hard to believe, ...

Based on what?

In several past primary elections, there have been multiple candidates worthy of endorsement but the Democratic Committee always chose a single candidate to endorse. 

Why change now?  Hopefully, they are trying to be less prescriptive and influential.

You're ignoring the simpler explanation, "Occam's Razor" and all that.


ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

nohero said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 

I find this hard to believe, ...

Based on what?

In several past primary elections, there have been multiple candidates worthy of endorsement but the Democratic Committee always chose a single candidate to endorse. 

Why change now?  Hopefully, they are trying to be less prescriptive and influential.

there are articles in the Village Green that explain all this.

Maybe you could share the articles in question.


You can start with the article in today's Village Green emailer that gives a summary of the background of each of the two candidates and an explanation of the process that led to the dual endorsement.


yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

nohero said:

yahooyahoo said:

ml1 said:

yahooyahoo said:

It is highly unusual for the Democratic Committee not to select a single person to endorse.  My interpretation is they did not feel strongly about either one.  I expect further developments before this is over.

it's actually the opposite. It's two really strong candidate, both worthy of endorsement. 

I find this hard to believe, ...

Based on what?

In several past primary elections, there have been multiple candidates worthy of endorsement but the Democratic Committee always chose a single candidate to endorse. 

Why change now?  Hopefully, they are trying to be less prescriptive and influential.

there are articles in the Village Green that explain all this.

Maybe you could share the articles in question.

I thought you cared enough to do your own search.  I gave you a source, and now you want me to go through the VG archives for you?  They were published sometime in the Jan-Feb time frame IIRC.


When and where are Debates, if any, scheduled?


I googled the debates and found them on u-tube. Easy to listen to. Carol Buchanan is missed.


Early observation: The nice lady seems to have more lawn signs than the nice man. Based on this, I believe that a Democrat will win.



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