Somerset County Democrats will meet next week to select a new county commissioner to replace Douglas Singleterry, who resigned earlier this month after becoming a Superior Court Judge.
The leading candidate appears to be Elizabeth Graner, the former Bernards Township Democratic Municipal chair and a former teacher’s union official in Rahway.
She will face former Hillsborough Township Committeeman Jeffrey Wright and former Watchung Councilman Daryl Eisenberg Knegten .
Former Franklin Township Board of Education Vice President Sami Shaban, who lost his seat last year, was also interested in the vacant seat. So was Jacqueline Pino, a Democratic activist from Bridgewater who works in the county clerk’s office. Neither filed.
Democratic County Chair Peg Schaeffer has told party leaders that she wants Singleterry’s seat to go to a municipality that isn’t already represented in a county or state office. Assemblyman Roy Freiman and County Commissioner Paul Drake are from Hillsborough, and County Commissioner Shanel Robinson, Assemblyman Joe Danielson, Surrogate Tina Jalloh, and Sheriff Darren Russo are from Franklin.
Democrats and Republicans will also need to nominate a general election candidate to seek the remainder of Singleterry’s term, which expires at the end of 2026. The deadline is August 28.
Graner lost bids for a State Assembly seat in 2021 and 2023 – she came within 2,503 votes of Assemblywoman Michele Matsikoudis (R-New Providence) — and for Bernards Township Committee in 2024.
A former North Plainfield councilman, Singleterry lost races for Somerset County Freeholder in 2008, 2009, and 2016, and then won in 2020 – he ousted the last Republican incumbents — and 2023.
RELATED ARTICLES
-
March 9, 2023 -
June 28, 2022 -
January 14, 2025