Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey Won't Seek Re-Election In November

EDISON, NJ — Edison Mayor Thomas Lankey said he will be withdrawing his name from the November ballot and will not be seeking re-election as an independent candidate for Mayor, according to a media release from his office. Lankey notified the Middlesex County Clerk of his decision on Tuesday.

Lav Patel, Michael Lombardi, and Alvaro Gomez, who are running for Council on Lankey’s slate, also notified the clerk of their decision to drop out of the upcoming election.

“After much reflection, I believe that now is the time for me to unify the Democratic Party and endorse Sam Joshi to lead our town as its next mayor,” Lankey said in a media statement.

“From preserving our open space to maintaining our roads, to keeping our community safe during the COVID-19 global pandemic, serving my neighbors in Edison has been the honor of my life. I am confident that Sam Joshi is the right person to lead our town to an even brighter future in the years ahead.”

Joshi is the Democratic nominee for mayor and currently serves as the vice president of the Council. He won the Democratic primary in June beating Edison Democratic Chairman Mahesh Bhagia and Arthur Esposito. He will face Republican candidate Keith Hahn in the upcoming elections.

Lankey was first elected to the Council in 2010. He has served as the mayor of Edison for the last eight years.

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