From the Maplewood Democratic Committee:
Maplewood Democratic Committee’s Open Call for Candidates for Local Municipal Office – the Township Committee
Candidate Educational Webinar on Feb 27; Public Candidate Forum on March 13
The Maplewood Democratic Committee (MDC), also known as Maplewood Dems, requests submissions from all registered Democrats interested in running as Democrats to serve on the local governing body – the Township Committee – for the term beginning January 1, 2024. The seats that will be up for election this year are those currently held by Dean Dafis and Vic DeLuca.
This election season, the NJ Democratic Primary is scheduled for June 6, 2023; the General Election is on November 7, 2023. In accordance with state election law, modified this year, candidates seeking to be on the June 6 primary ballot must file their petitions on or before March 27, 2023.
The MDC will host a public webinar on February 27 at which interested candidates can learn more about the process of running for office, election requirements, and about serving on the Township Committee.
The MDC will also host a public candidate forum on March13 where members of the public and members of the MDC can hear from and question interested Democrats running for the Township Committee. Details about the event which will be held virtually or in a hybrid format are forthcoming.
To be considered for an endorsement by the Maplewood Democratic Committee, candidates must submit a letter of interest describing their interest in running for the Township Committee and a resume by March 6, 2023 to Ian Grodman, MDC Chair, at iangrodman@gmail.com. A follow-up questionnaire will be distributed to all candidates who submit a letter of interest and resume. Candidate’s answers to the questionnaire will be due on March 12, 2023 and questionnaire answers will be shared with the MDC and the public. Candidates seeking MDC endorsement will also be required to produce a minimum of 25 signatures of registered Democrats in Maplewood who support them by March 6, 2023 to MDC Chair Grodman at iangrodman@gmail.com. Please note that 25 signatures represents half of the required amount of at least 50 signatures for municipal office according to state election law. Petitions can be picked up at the Township Clerk’s Office or by contacting MDC Chair Ian Grodman.
After introducing all Democratic candidates for Township Committee to the public on March 13, the MDC will gather on March 20, 2023 to consider the candidates seeking MDC endorsement.
As a result of a pilot program put in place by the Maplewood Democratic Committee last year, any candidate seeking endorsement who has the support of forty percent of the Maplewood Democratic Committee district leaders in attendance at the March 20 meeting will be able to run in the primary with the endorsement of the Democratic Committee. While there will be two seats up for election on the Township Committee, as many candidates that forty percent of the Maplewood Democratic Committee deem worthy of endorsement, may run with the endorsement. In other words, considerably more than two candidates may be able to run with the Democratic Committee’s endorsement.
For more information, any registered Democrat interested in running for Township Committee can contact Maplewood Democratic Committee Chair Ian Grodman to learn more about this process at iangrodman@gmail.com, or by emailing hello@maplewooddemocrats.org. The MDC launched a website last year, maplewooddemocrats.org, which provides important information about local election races, the work of the Township Committee and the Democratic Committee, the process of running, and ways that you can help the Democratic Party locally and nationally.
TIMELINE AT A GLANCE:
February 27: Township Committee Prospective Candidate Educational Webinar
March 6: Deadline for Democratic Party endorsement submission of letter of interest and resume, and petition with 25 signatures
March 12: Deadline for Candidate questionnaire submission
March 13: Public Forum
March 20: Deadline for submission of half of required signatures by candidates seeking MDC endorsement
March 27: Petitions to run for Maplewood Township Committee due to Township Clerk
June 6: NJ Democratic Primary
