I’m a Republican and voting for Carolyn Dempsey

My wife and I have been Chatham residents since 1998. I moved here from New York and my wife from Clark, New Jersey, because we were drawn to the quiet charm of this town, its great school system and its small-town feel. In all the years, we’ve lived here, I’ve never gone out of my way to publicly endorse a candidate, especially one from a different political party from mine. But supporting Carolyn Dempsey and encouraging others to vote for her for Chatham Borough Council in November is something I particularly feel strongly about.

Like many Chatham families with school-age children, I am invested in the success of our town. Our four children—a junior in high school, an 8th grader and twins that are in 7th grade—all have stakes in this town. Our local government has the power to decide what our town will look like in the coming years and beyond. Issues such as downtown re-development, local traffic and school funding will all be decided at the local level by elected officials. And there’s no one I would trust more with these issues than Carolyn Dempsey.

When I heard she was running for a council seat, I wasn’t surprised. She has a tremendous amount of energy when it comes to helping people. She is family-oriented and very committed to the community. When it comes to performing her civic duty, she has no personal agenda because she always has the best interest of the community in mind. When I served as President of the Gloria Dei Church council, I saw her in action as a fellow council member and she still actively volunteers for any job that needs to be done. She is known for her open-mindedness and she’s always talking to people to really understand their perspectives.

I truly believe she can make a positive change and a bigger impact in our community if given a chance to serve on the Borough Council. We owe it to our children to make sure we elect local officials like Carolyn, who is an active member of our community and takes civic duty to heart.