Democrats win four Randolph council seats

Democrats swept Randolph’s Township Council elections Tuesday, winning all four available seats and making significant gains in a Morris County municipality where Republicans have long held a majority on the township council.

Meghan Lynch received 5,733 votes, followed by Stephen Beecher with 5,679, Amy Rietzke with 5,622 and Howard Sisco with 5,567. Republican Mark H. Forstenhausler received 4,773 votes, Lou Nisivoccia received 4,754, Denise Thornton received 4,689 and Travis Ruffo received 4,519. There were also 42 write-in votes.

Beecher, a retired police chief; Rietzke, a grocery-industry worker and union member; Sisco; and Lynch, a human resources professional, will join the council. This gives Democrats a 4-3 majority on the seven-member council.

The Democratic candidates made the township’s approach to development central, arguing that Randolph needs an updated master plan to guide housing, commercial growth and infrastructure. They criticized the existing council’s handling of affordable-housing obligations and argued that better coordination could attract businesses and reduce the burden on residential taxpayers.

Forstenhausler, a former mayor who has served the township for decades; Nisivoccia, who served as mayor in 2023 and deputy mayor in 2022; Thornton, a council member since 2024 and a Morris County sheriff’s detective captain; and Ruffo, a law enforcement officer and longtime youth sports coach, made up the Republican slate.

The election also comes as former Randolph Mayor and current Councilman Joe Hathaway, a Republican, faces Democratic Rep. Analilia Mejia (D-Glen Ridge) in the 11th Congressional District. Mejia defeated Hathaway in April’s special election to fill the remainder of Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s congressional term. Mejia beat Hathaway by six points in Randolph.

Randolph has become increasingly Democratic at the top of the ticket: voters rejected Donald Trump all three times; Hillary Clinton carried Randolph by six points in 2016; Joe Biden increased that margin to 14 points in 2020; and Kamala Harris prevailed by seven points in 2024.

Even in more down-ballot races, the township has shown growing Democratic support, going from supporting Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno by one point in 2017 to supporting Gov. Phil Murphy by one point in 2021.

The last Republican to carry Randolph in a statewide election was Bob Hugin in 2018, who beat U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez by two points.