Holmdel Township Committee Primary Election 2026: Ronald Emma

HOLMDEL, NJ — This year’s Republican primary race for Township Committee is packed in Holmdel with five candidates running for two of the party’s open spots.

Candidate Ronald Emma is running for election to the committee with running mate Kristin Celauro.

The pair is running against challengers Thomas “TJ” Mann and incumbents Gary Vanderham and Joseph A. Romano.

No one has filed a petition to run for committee in the Democratic primary race.

Ahead of the Primary Election, Patch posed several questions to Emma about his campaign platform, experience and what sets him apart from other candidates running. His replies are below.

Editor’s Note: The following article contains information about one of the candidates running for the Holmdel Township Committee in 2026. Responses are written as received by Patch and only edited for style.

Patch has contacted all other candidates in this race with the same questions and will post replies as they are received.

Are you running for the Holmdel Township Committee? Contact Sara Winick at sara.winick@patch.com for information on being featured in a candidate's profile and submitting campaign announcements to Patch.

Ronald E. Emma

Age: 62

Town Of Residence: Holmdel

Education: BA Political Science

Occupation: Vice President of Sales (North America) — 30+ years in supply chain logistics Industry.

What drove you to seek public office?

I have been engaged in community affairs over the last number of years, witnessing developments in our town that deeply concerned me. The back-room politics and the seemingly overt disregard for citizens' concerns have motivated me to get involved.

Our campaign is based on transparency and fiscal responsibility. We hope to bring common-sense solutions to the issues facing our community.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

Kristin Celauro, my running mate, and I have been about putting the interest of Holmdel first. Good governance means that we should listen to our residents’ concerns and not ignore them, especially when it comes to public health and safety.

The recent Vonage development has galvanized the community and highlighted the dysfunctional back-room politics that have plagued our town for too long. The current administration has known about potential drinking water contamination for over two years at that site and has done nothing to stop it. Their last-minute solution was a sweetheart deal to fund an extension of a sewer main into South Holmdel at the taxpayers' expense.

Giant utility poles that are currently being installed all over our town are destroying the beauty and bucolic nature of Holmdel and property values. The Township Committee knew about it for over two years and did nothing to try to stop them or let residents know.

There are some recent examples of issues threatening Holmdel, but our opponents were either silent, complicit, or have condoned the TC’s actions.

What are past accomplishments or experiences that make you qualified for this position?

In my 30-year career of sales negotiations, I have dealt with a wide array of individuals. In addition, I served on the Holmdel Planning Board for four years. I believe this will suit me well on the Township Committee.

Being able to have a dialogue with varying opinions and still come out with a win/win outcome has served me well over the years.

If elected, what will be your top priorities in your new role?

Transparency is at the top of the list. We need to stop the taxpayer funding for the above-mentioned sewer line extension that will open South Holmdel as a potential site for future additional high-density developments. How does this sewer line benefit the residents of Holmdel?

At the bare minimum, we need to force the cost of this project to be borne by the developer who is actually reaping the benefits. Ideally, the sewer line should be scrapped and a state of the art on site wastewater treatment plant installed that replenishes our water supply.

In addition to transparency, we believe accountability and fiscal responsibility must be at the forefront of our decision-making process.

The preservation of Holmdel’s open space has been a hot topic in the local community. If elected, how will you address residents’ concerns about preservation?

We have a taxpayer-approved open space trust fund. These monies must be directed to acquiring additional open space to ensure our bucolic nature. However, we need to do this responsibly and openly.

An example is the announcement to acquire the Addy Lubkert House from the BOE. The open space trust fund is taxpayers’ money. We don’t believe taxpayers’ money should be used again to acquire a property that has already been purchased with taxpayers’ dollars. This transaction doesn’t help with the BOE’s budget crisis — despite this $1+ million transaction for the Lubkert House, the BOE was forced to eliminate courtesy busing as a cost-saving measure, impacting many parents in towns.

There should have been enough money in the current annual $7+ million Pilot revenue to assist our school system.

Name one thing about Holmdel that always makes you smile.

The sense of community in Holmdel is something to be marveled at. We need to build on this. While driving through town, the beautiful open spaces always remind me that our well-deserved bucolic reputation must be fought for.

As candidates, I believe we must have the best interests of Holmdel at heart. I entered this race as a concerned citizen who is willing to speak their mind and not worry about outside influences or be beholden to anyone who does not share these best interests of our great community.