Elections: A First Time Voters Perspective

As a long-term resident of Chatham, more specifically a sixteen and a half resident of Chatham Borough and a CHS senior, I feel compelled to write this letter to first-time voters (like myself.) I care about a well-run government, prudent fiscal planning, local environmental issues, and common sense in government.

If we look at Jocelyn Mathiasen and Kate Hay from a matter of qualifications, both are extremely qualified. Mathiasen got her B.A. in Political Science and Government from Oberlin College, but she also returned to school four years later to earn her M.A. in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. She also has two adorable dogs named Teddy and Jasper, one of the most important qualifications a candidate can have. Hays got her B.A. in Theater with a minor in history; political science and government from none other than The George Washington University (which I’m biased against because it is one of my top schools) in the nation's capital. So, needless to say, the Democratic candidates are highly qualified from an educational standpoint to serve as your council members.

Now I would like to focus on the good things that Jocelyn and Kate have done for the borough community. These two outstanding women have both served as liaisons to the Borough Environmental Commission. They have spearheaded initiatives such as eliminating single-use plastic bags (before they were outlawed state-wide), they have eliminated pesticides from playing fields, and reduced energy use in Borough buildings. They both care about the environment and believe it to be a bipartisan issue. Both of them are also accepting of people from all different backgrounds and believe that everyone should have an equal place in our community.

Kate is by far the youngest council member and the only millennial on the council, and as much as Gen Z and millennials feud, she has my full support. Recognizing her millennialism, she represents a new age group of Chatham Borough. Kate grew up in Chatham and came back to Chatham after she graduated, so needless to say she loves this town. You have probably seen her at the farmer’s market every week selling products from her small business, Kate Made Skin Care. She was nominated as a council member by Carolyn Dempsey to finish her term when she was elected mayor (unopposed.) She has been a wonderful mentor to many Chatham kids through her years of coaching swimming teams. On the Environmental Commission and Board of Health, she has helped enhance pedestrian safety, keeping Chathamites safe.

Jocelyn is an activist for what she believes in. Believing the current approach to affordable housing to be unnecessarily punitive and unsuccessful, she led a bipartisan effort to fight it and even traveled to Trenton to testify. She helped secure a 900,000-dollar grant in federal aid to upgrade the ECLC. She has been a municipal government management consultant for a long time and this experience has helped the Borough streamline its operations. As chair of the Borough’s Budget and Finance Committee, she has helped craft a sustainable financial future for Chatham with minimal tax increases over the next 20 years.

Both of these incredible people will take the time to talk to you, help you, and answer your questions.

When voting, it is important to be informed about who you are voting for. A quick Google search has revealed loads of information on all four candidates, but the most recent information came from the Democratic candidates. Their website (https://www.chathamnjdemocrats.com/) is updated with short bios for each candidate that describe their viewpoints and even includes contacts with all Borough and Township members of government. Important websites like the ones for the Borough government and Township government are also attached. When browsing the internet for information about the Republican candidates, Kabbash and Barrette, there wasn’t much information available to me. First, I was taken to the Chatham GOP website (https://www.chathamnjgop.com) where they had an article explaining who their candidates were, in the first paragraph attacking Mathiasen and Hays before delving into what reads like resumes. This, though, is the only piece of information I could find about the Republican candidates. They claim they can fix Chatham Borough but haven’t even posted “concepts of a plan.” The public Republican Facebook group for Chatham Township only has one post on June 11 congratulating Kabbash and Barrette on being the Republican write-in candidates. When clicking on the Republican Club of the Chathams' Facebook page, to my dismay, I found that it was private, while the Democratic one is public. There is no public Republican Facebook group for the Borough.

If the Republican Party wants its candidates to win, shouldn’t it provide as much information as possible to eligible voters? In the donation section of their website, you can only donate to Mark Lois, the Township candidate (which if you live in the Township, vote for Craig Alperowitz.) So, needless to say, I was upset when I couldn’t find more information on the Republican candidates.

The Chatham GOP has raised concern that Chatham is run by a one-party system and that balance must be restored. This is not the first year that I have heard this slogan, but it seems to me like they have forgotten how elections work. There are votes every year to replace two out of the six Borough Council members and one every three years to elect a new mayor. Last year’s elections were unopposed. So it begs the question that if Republicans want balance, shouldn’t they at least have candidates? Their issue isn’t going to fix itself, and yet I have been hearing “balance” for years. Voters decided to elect Democrats because that was the only choice they had. The Morris County Clerk Office has data about all elections pertaining to Morris County. (https://www.morriscountyclerk.org/files/sharedassets/clerk/v/9/elections/past-results/2023-general-summary-report-official.pdf) The data in the images below come from their General Election Report for the 2023 election cycle. As you can see below, there is only one option for the mayor and two for the council. Yet in the Township, there are 4 options and it says vote for two. The decision of the Republican Party not to run any candidates is being shown in the Borough Council, yet now they decry that it is unfair.

As first-time voters, we have the responsibility to ensure our community is led by people with clear, thoughtful plans for the future. This election gives us the chance to choose leaders who are not only qualified but also committed to Chatham's long-term success. Please join me this Election Day to vote for Jocelyn Mathiasen and Kate Hay so that we can re-elect them to the council.