Colts Neck Township Committee Primary Election 2026: Kevin Walsh

COLTS NECK, NJ — This year’s Republican primary race for Township Committee is packed in Colts Neck with three candidates running for two of the party’s open spots.

Candidate Kevin T. Walsh is running for election to the committee against Robert Farrell and Thomas Sullivan.

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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 Walsh 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 Colts Neck 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 Colts Neck 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.

Kevin Walsh

Age: 65

Town Of Residence: Colts Neck

Education: Associate Degree in Emergency Systems Management

Occupation: Director of Security at the Trump Organization

What drove you to seek public office?

My entire life has been about showing up when the call comes. From starting out as a volunteer paramedic and firefighter to spending over 25 years with the Colts Neck Police Department, public service isn't something I just decided to try out; it is who I am.

Right now, the unique character of Colts Neck is under direct threat. We are facing unprecedented pressures from state-imposed housing mandates and rising municipal costs that threaten to permanently change the fabric of the town we love.

I’m running for Township Committee because I love this community, and I refuse to watch its rural charm, open spaces, and financial stability get stripped away without a fight.

My daughter goes to school here, and my wife Angelique and I are deeply invested in this town. I want to ensure that the unique, safe, and beautiful Colts Neck we see today is preserved for the next generation.

What sets you apart from the other candidates?

I am a public servant, not a career politician. My approach is entirely rooted in "Community Over Politics." I don't follow a party script, I don't make backroom deals, and I will never prioritize a county agenda over local needs.

What sets me apart is the unique blend of operational safety experience and proven fiscal leadership. I’ve seen our town from every angle: answering emergency calls at 2:00 a.m. as a police sergeant, protecting our children as a School Resource Officer, managing a $30M+ budget on the Board of Education, and now handling massive logistical operations as the Director of Security for the Trump Organization.

I bring real, battle-tested leadership to the table, and I have a proven track record of standing strong against intense pressure.

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

My qualifications aren't built on empty campaign promises. They are written in a 30-year record of action right here in Colts Neck.

As a member of the Board of Education’s Finance Committee, I helped oversee a 30-million-dollar-plus budget that delivered three consecutive years of zero tax increases while simultaneously building strong reserves and upgrading our schools. I spearheaded the initiative to equip our entire school bus fleet with stop-arm cameras, making us the first district in Monmouth County to do so.

During my 27 years with the Colts Neck Police Department, I led the rollout of life-saving AED devices across our police fleet. Beyond enforcement, I organized a dedicated group of volunteers to serve as liaisons to 180 Turning Lives Around, ensuring victims of domestic violence have a 24/7 lifeline to safety and resources.

I am also the proud founder of the Monmouth County Police Pipes and Drums, leading tributes for our fallen brothers and sisters, which included performing at dozens of funerals in the heartbreaking wake of 9/11.

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

My top priority is putting Colts Community First by bringing strict, fiscal conservative values to our local government, expanding our farmland and open space preservation, protecting our critical water infrastructure from overdevelopment, and restoring the transparency, accountability, and civility our taxpayers deserve.

• Cut Spending and Hold the Line on Taxes: The compounding burden of New Jersey property taxes has reached a breaking point, and it is time for a top-to-bottom audit of all municipal operational spending. We must put an immediate stop to the continuous creep of government costs. As part of my mission to keep Colts Neck affordable, I will aggressively fight to slash the bloated construction and permitting fees that unfairly penalize residents for simply improving their own homes.
• Prioritize True Open Space and Farmland Preservation: We need to get back to the heritage of Colts Neck: its rural charm, horse farms, and open green spaces. I will decisively pursue property through bond issuances to take vulnerable land off the table for commercial developers permanently. Because we cannot rely on the state to protect us, I will bypass the bureaucracy by working directly with dedicated non-profit land trusts like the Monmouth Conservation Foundation and The Land Conservancy of New Jersey, alongside our vital military partners at Naval Weapons Station Earle through the federal REPI program, to leverage matching funds and shield our borders from overdevelopment.
• Our Clean Water and Environment Against Overdevelopment: For a conservative in Colts Neck, preserving our land is also about conserving our critical natural resources. High-density rental projects, like the massive 360-unit development near Yellow Brook, bring serious environmental risks, specifically concerning underground wastewater systems and potential runoff into the Swimming River Reservoir. I will fight for rigorous environmental oversight to protect the private wells our residents rely on and the drinking water of our broader community.
• Bridge the Gap Between the Town and Our Schools: True financial transparency means looking at the whole picture. When high-density housing mandates are pushed on us, the Township Committee cannot operate in a silo. I will ensure that the township and the school board share data and coordinate directly, so we can plan for student enrollment growth and prevent unexpected financial strains that could force teacher layoffs or program cuts.
• Restore Professionalism and Civility to Town Hall: Transparency doesn't exist without a culture of respect. Public meetings should be a place where residents can ask tough questions or voice disagreements without being met with hostility or political infighting. I am committed to treating every single citizen with dignity, restoring a sense of professional decorum to the committee, and creating advisory panels to utilize the incredible local expertise we have right here in town.

Overdevelopment has been a large concern throughout the Colts Neck community. If elected, how will you address these concerns?

The state-imposed Fourth Round affordable housing mandates dictated by activist judges are the single biggest threat to our town because they risk crushing our infrastructure, overextending our police, fire, and DPW teams, and overcrowding our schools. We cannot simply concede.

To fight back, I will introduce a bond referendum to give the power back to the voters, allowing us to aggressively purchase large tracts of land and take them off the table for high-density developers permanently.

Additionally, we must ensure we never allow another high-density rental monstrosity to take root, meaning that if we are legally required to build, we must prioritize 100 percent affordable, low-impact municipal projects specifically targeted to support our seniors, veterans, and adults with autism.

Name one thing about Colts Neck that always makes you smile.

It is impossible to pick just one thing because what makes me smile is seeing how our local traditions seamlessly bring neighbors together across every generation.

I love driving past our gorgeous, sprawling horse farms and catching glimpses of the quiet beauty of the Swimming River Reservoir reflecting the morning sky. It is the local history you feel passing the Laird homestead and knowing that our own Laird’s Distillery represents the very roots of American craftsmanship right here in our backyard.

It’s the traditions my family has built in this community, such as taking my daughter apple picking at Eastmont Orchards, stopping by Delicious Orchards to grab the freshest apple cider donuts you can find anywhere, or picking out our Christmas tree at the Fir Farm.

It’s the community spirit at Bucks Mill Park during the Lions Club Kentucky Derby tasting event, seeing everyone dressed up and coming together for a great cause. It’s watching our kids learn teamwork and grit on the fields through the Colts Neck Sports Foundation, and catching up with friends while supporting our local businesses, whether grabbing dinner at Huddy’s Inn or stopping by our local shops.

We have something incredibly special here, a true sanctuary of rural charm and tight-knit community, and protecting that way of life is exactly why I am fighting so hard for this town.