The Maplewood Democratic Committee will host a public webinar at 7 p.m. on February 10 “at which interested candidates can learn more about the process of running for office, election requirements, and about serving on the Township Committee.” (Register here.) The Township Committee is the five-person elected body that governs Maplewood. Members serve for three-year terms. The members of the TC elect the Mayor and Deputy Mayor annually from within its own ranks.
One seat is up for grabs in 2022.
Those interested in signing up for the webinar can register here.
The webinar is part of efforts by the MDC to make the primary process more open and transparent, as the committee continues to debate ballot reform and the endorsement process. MDC Chair Ian Grodman tells Village Green that a decision about potential changes to the ballot “will likely be discussed over more than one meeting” — signaling that the decision may not be made in time to impact this election cycle. Meanwhile the MDC has updates it Facebook page and launched a website.
More on the process from the MDC:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Maplewood, NJ (January 25, 2022) –The Maplewood Democratic Committee (MDC) 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, 2023. This election season, the NJ Democratic Primary is scheduled for June 7, 2022; the General Election is on November 8, 2022. In accordance with state election law, candidates seeking elected office must file their petitions on or before April 4, 2022.
The MDC will host a public webinar on February 10 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 March 7 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 February 24, 2022 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 one week later on March 4, 2022 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 14, 2022 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 7, the MDC will gather on March 14, 2022 to consider the candidates seeking MDC 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 plans to launch a new website in the coming week that will include an interactive map to help find your local District Leaders as well as additional information about these candidate events. Sign up for our new e-newsletter to learn about these and other events.
TIMELINE AT A GLANCE:
February 10: Township Committee Prospective Candidate Educational Webinar
February 24: Deadline for Democratic Party endorsement submission of letter of interest and resume
March 4: Deadline for Candidate questionnaire submission
March 7: Public Forum
March 14: Deadline for submission of half of required signatures by candidates seeking MDC endorsement
April 4: Petitions to run for Maplewood Township Committee due to Township Clerk
June 7: NJ Democratic Primary
