Watson Coleman applauds Hughes, backs Benson for county executive

Democrats in Mercer County are moving to unify following today’s announcement that five-term County Executive Brian Hughes will not seek re-election, with Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) announcing her support for Assemblyman Dan Benson (D-Hamilton).

“Democracy is neither neat nor tidy, but it allows for effective participation in electing our leaders.  I applaud the selfless decision of Brian’s to not put our county through the burden of a primary,” Watson Coleman said.  “Today, it is time for each of us to stand with Dan Benson in his campaign to be our next County Executive.  It’s time for us all to unite to make sure we don’t allow Mercer County to turn Red again.”

The seismic shift in the race comes three days after Benson defeated Hughes at the county convention by a 78%-22% margin.

Watson Coleman also praised Hughes, her longtime political ally.

“I would like to take a moment to thank my friend, Brian Hughes, for his tremendous service to our County and our Democratic Party.  It wasn’t that long ago that Mercer County was Republican-dominated, and Brian was among the first to step up and successfully take on the challenge to slowly advance our Democratic values reflective of Mercer County’s residents,” she said.  “His work for our party is only matched by the remarkable job he did in leading our county government to provide outstanding services for every resident, even as he focused on making Mercer County affordable.”