Former Somerset County Freeholder May Run For NJ Governor

SOMERSET COUNTY, NJ — Former Somerset County Freeholder Director and Franklin Township Mayor Brian Levine is creating an exploratory committee to seek the Republican nomination for Governor.

"I am disappointed a bit with the state and the direction it's going," said Levine, who recently lost his re-election for Somerset County Freeholder this past November.

Touting his credentials as an accounting and finance expert as a Certified Public Accountant in Somerville, Levine pointed to the financial issues the state is facing.

"In the best of times, the state is broke. When the economy is booming, most people and businesses will save for a rainy day. The state never does that. It's a fiscal mess," said Levine.

Levine, who served as Franklin Mayor from 2004 to 2014, said when he left his office the township "had one of the highest surpluses in the state, while growing our police force and increasing services to citizens."

During his tenure as Freeholder from 2015 to 2020, Levine said Somerset County maintained an AAA rating.

As a result of this, Levine said he is looking to make a positive change in the state by possibly running for governor.

"It is a preliminary analysis for now," said Levine, "but New Jersey needs so much rebuilding, that a patchwork quilt of concepts will not solve the problems; we need bold steps with our residents in
mind."

If Levine were to run against Democratic incumbent Phil Murphy for Governor in 2022, he would join former State Assemblyman and Hillsborough resident Jack Ciattarelli who is also running for the Republican ticket. Ciattarelli had also formerly served as a Somerset County Freeholder.

If elected Levine would like to see a number of areas addressed including:

• Financial incentives for businesses that are being used as unpaid tax collectors
• Our most vulnerable citizens who could not afford health insurance received a tax increase
• Rutgers has one of the highest in-state tuitions in the country and a more complicated admissions process than most universities
• Pandemic relief is spotty.

"What am I seeking if I decide to run? I want civil discourse with the other candidates, I want ideas to flow amongst all, I want solutions to be discussed, I want New Jersey to be the stellar place it can be," said Levine. "Some run for office because they want to hold the office; I will run to create a better life for our residents. If I run, it will be a grassroots campaign. Just like I was 'The People’s Mayor,' I seek to be ‘The People’s Governor’ if I run and succeed."

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