Grateful Democrats Ready To Serve Chatham

CHATHAM, NJ - Fresh off of their upset victory over incumbent Republicans Len Resto and Peter Hoffman, Carolyn Dempsey and Jocelyn Mathiasen are thanking those who helped them propel them to victory on Nov. 6.

"Thank you, Chatham. Thank you. After declaring my candidacy for Borough Council this past April, it is hard to believe the Election Day we were working toward is now behind us," Dempsey said. "Jocelyn and I are thrilled, and humbled, to have received this vote of confidence from you: our neighbors."

Mathiasen said she was appreciative of the support.

"I am grateful to the residents of Chatham Borough for their votes of confidence in Carolyn Dempsey and me, and we pledge to work hard to be honest, diligent, and respectful stewards of the Borough budget and operations," Mathiasen said.

The unofficial numbers from the Morris County Clerk's Office saw Dempsey as the top vote getter with 2,366 and running mate Jocelyn Mathiasen notching 2,287 votes. Resto tallied 1,980 and Hoffman 1,871 in the contest. Results remain unofficial until certified by the county clerk.

"One goal of mine, when I decided to run, was to bring broader representation to our Borough Council. That means not only listening to those who voted for me, but to all who live within our Borough. When I started visiting residents in the summer, I wanted to listen to everybody, irrespective of political affiliation. Many concerns overlapped, but I was always learning something new," Dempsey said. "Toward the end of the campaign, I made it a point to visit houses with 'Resto Hoffman' signs on their lawns to find out what issues in Chatham resonated with them. We’re all neighbors and we all want Chatham to be the best hometown possible. Sometimes we have different ideas of how to get there and listening to those varying points of view is important."

In the days after the election Hoffman and Resto sought out their former rivals to offer congratulations and support.

"I appreciate that they have both reached out to us with their congratulations and look forward to a smooth transition. We can learn much from their years on the Council, and from the past successes of the Borough Government, in general," Dempsey said. "There is a long tradition of fiscal responsibility in our Chatham Borough government. We plan to continue that tradition while helping to implement our new ideas that have come largely from listening to all of you—our neighbors and soon to be constituents."

Mathiasen echoed the sentiments of her running mate.

"I also want to thank Len Resto and Peter Hoffman for their hard work on the Borough Council. They have devoted many hours of toward helping the borough provide services to residents and ensuring that our tax dollars are spent efficiently, and we greatly appreciate their hard work," she said. "I hope they continue to serve the community."

Dempsey said there weren't enough thanks to go around for the volunteers that helped their campaign and Mathiasen said that she believes it was listening to the concerns of both parties that may have helped push them over the top.

"Our platform was their platform," She said. "The election was evidence of the importance of truly listening to constituents and always asking the question 'how can we do better?'"

Mathiasen said she and Dempsey won’t stop asking that question as they settle into their new role. Dempsey said it is a role that is both an honor and a responsibility.

"Over the next three years I plan to continue the dialogue that began this past summer, going house-to-house," Dempsey said. "Working together is how we’ll make our great town even better."

(Photo courtesy of Carolyn Dempsey and Jocelyn Mathiasen)

Thanks for reading! Learn more about posting announcements or events to your
local Patch site here. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to russ.crespolini@patch.com

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter by clicking here. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading our Apple iOS app here, or by visiting the Google Play store for the Android app here.