The Maplewood Democratic Committee announced this evening that it is endorsing two Democratic candidates for one open seat on the Maplewood Township Committee: Kurt H. Kiley and Deborah Engel.
Primary day is June 7, 2022.
“The Democratic Committee approached the endorsement process in a somewhat different manner this year than they have in the past,” read a release from the MDC. “Rather than endorsing only one candidate for the one seat that will be open this year (as a result of Township Committee Member Frank McGehee’s decision to not seek reelection), the Democratic Committee decided this year to endorse all those seeking the endorsement that they believed would well serve the township and the ideals of the Democratic Party.”
Deborah Engel; Kurt H. Kiley
“Both are committed long-term community volunteers and activists, and the Committee is confident that both would contribute significantly to the Township Committee and the governance of the township,” read the release.
Kiley ran for Township Committee twice before as an Independent; Engel ran previously for the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education.
The MDC’s decision to open Line A on the ballot to all candidates seeking endorsement came after months of research and debate.
The MDC had previously endorsed Kiley who met a March 7 deadline for endorsement application and participated in a March 14 public forum.
MDC Chair Ian Grodman explains that Engel was a late addition to the MDC’s endorsement. The deadline to file with the Township Clerk for the primary is April 4.
“This is a pilot program whose goal was to increase participation by folks wishing to run for Township Committee,” explained MDC Chair Ian Grodman. “When Ms. Engel sought the endorsement after the deadline, an emergency meeting was called to see if under the circumstances of our pilot program to increase participation if the late submission should be considered, and if that decision was yes, whether Ms. Engel would be endorsed. The answer to both was in the affirmative.”
As of publication, no Republican candidates had announced candidacies. No Republican has run for Maplewood elected office since 2017.
From the Maplewood Democratic Committee:
The Maplewood Democratic Committee is pleased and proud to announce their endorsement of both Deborah Engel and Kurt H. Kiley as Township Committee candidates in the June 7, 2022 Democratic Primary. Both are committed long term community volunteers and activists, and the Committee is confident that both would contribute significantly to the Township Committee and the governance of the township.
The Democratic Committee approached the endorsement process in a somewhat different manner this year than they have in the past. Rather than endorsing only one candidate for the one seat that will be open this year (as a result of Township Committee Member Frank McGehee’s decision to not seek reelection), the Democratic Committee decided this year to endorse all those seeking the endorsement that they believed would well serve the township and the ideals of the Democratic Party. In a pilot program developed over close to one year, the Committee is moving forward with a process they believe will engage more people to run for the Township Committee. As part of the pilot program, the Committee held public forums on serving and running for Township Committee and to meet and hear from those seeking the Democratic Committee’s endorsement. Kurt and Deb were both the individuals who sought the party’s endorsement and received the enthusiastic support and endorsement of the Committee after a very thorough vetting process.
The owner and President of Adams Automation since 1989, Kurt Kiley moved to Maplewood with his wife, Carol Stefan, 11 years ago and immediately began serving the community as a volunteer in many ways. He has worked on the Maplewood Recreation Advisory Committee and as a Democratic Party district leader, and has organized voter registration drives in the Hilton neighborhood. Kurt’s greatest contributions as a community volunteer, however, have been in his very dedicated work to improve services to Maplewood AND South Orange seniors and empowering seniors in both of our communities. A founding member of “Maplewood Senior Share,” Kurt organized meetings to listen to the needs and concerns of seniors, developing programs in coordination with Columbia High School, South Orange Senior Advisory Committee, Village to Village and SAGE Elder Care. Kurt served as the initial chair of the Maplewood Seniors Advisory Committee from its inception through December 2020.
From Kurt, “I’m humbled by the endorsement of my colleagues on the Maplewood Democratic Committee. Maplewood is a very special town, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for everyday people to move here, or to stay here. I am running to ensure Maplewood remains an affordable, safe, community for all, all ages and all people.”
Deborah Engel has created two local Maplewood/ South Orange businesses, the General Store Cooperative on Springfield Avenue and the now closed co-working and childcare space, Work and Play in South Orange. She and her husband Matt moved here in 2009, shortly before their oldest child was born. Deb and Matt are the now the parents of three children all attending public elementary school and middle here in Maplewood. As a parent of young children, Deb served on the Board of the Preschool at Temple Sharey-Tefilo for five years, while opening Work and Play, one of the first co-working spaces in the world to also offer child care. She soon joined the Board of the South Orange Village Center Alliance (now South Orange Downtown), joining the Executive Committee shortly thereafter and holding a leadership role for three and a half years, serving finally as Chair. In 2018, Deb helped to create a strategic marketing plan around parking in Maplewood village. She currently serves with the Neighborhood Preservation Program, overseeing a five year grant from the state dedicated to improvements on Springfield Avenue and parts of the Hilton neighborhood. She is program lead for the beautification of “Yale Corner,” and has facilitated the open air retail market there for two years.
From Deb, “As a lifelong Democrat, I am excited to run for Maplewood Township Committee with the party’s endorsement. Since moving to Maplewood 13 years ago, I have been an active community member and volunteer. I have a proven track record of listening and learning from our community to create innovative programs that serve our working parents, families, small business owners and residents of all ages to make our community a better place. It’s a natural step to now take my skill set and doer mentality to the Maplewood Township Committee and serve our community in a broader scope.”
Besides the Committee’s efforts to educate the public about the candidates and the election, the Maplewood Democratic Committee will do everything possible to support the efforts of those organizations who work to educate the public about the candidates. At this point, we know that the Hilton Neighborhood Association will be sponsoring a candidate forum and that the League of Women Voters will be sponsoring a candidate debate, with dates for both expected to be announced shortly. Both candidates will receive support and assistance from the Committee in their campaigns. In the meantime, please follow for updates at maplewooddemocrats.org and the Maplewood Democrats Facebook and Instagram pages. Most importantly, learn all that you can about the candidates and come out and vote in the June 7 Primary Election!
