Middletown Township Committee Race: Who's Running

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Two Democrats will try to unseat two Republican incumbents seeking re-election in the upcoming Middletown Township Committee race on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

The Democrats running are Jeana Sager and Sean Byrnes. The Republican incumbents are Kevin Settembrino and Rick Hibell.

Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 and Middletown residents can vote for two.

The Democrats took a major publicity hit earlier this fall, when this video surfaced of Sager making controversial comments about police officers. In the video conversation, which Sager was having with supporters of medical marijuana and marijuana legalization, she said "What constitutes a criminal? To me, a lot of police are criminals."

The backlash against her was swift, even from within her own party, and her comments prompted running mate Byrnes to announce he was no longer running with her. The Middletown and Monmouth County Democratic party also denounced her, and said they would not be funding her campaign.

"We are refusing all resources to the Sager campaign and formally withdrawing the endorsement of the Monmouth County Democrats," said Monmouth County Democratic Party Chairman David Brown. "Let it be a clear message: The Monmouth County Democratic Party will not stand for this disgraceful behavior now or in the future."

"I absolutely disagree with her," Byrnes told Patch back in September when the video first surfaced. "If she does not withdraw from the campaign, then I will. I cannot run with someone who has such beliefs. I won't run with her."

Byrnes has stayed in the race however, but he is not running with Sager.

“If I was elected I’d happily go do the job,” Byrnes told the Asbury Park Press this week. “I really was forced to stop campaigning because my running mate just said some things that I can’t agree with and I didn’t want to have our funds and efforts being used in a way that makes it more likely that she got elected.”

Sager defended her comments, saying it was "sad that Americans cannot have honest conversations about issues such as police violence and the racist and prejudicial drug war. The off-the-cuff conversation, which occurred in June in a parking lot, was not a prepared speech. I was talking about issues that impact families in my community ... I do wish I had stated some points more clearly but — If we can't have an honest conversation about police, some of whom act criminally, then we are not protecting our citizens or the police who risk their lives for us."

Sager is a flight attendant who also does the hiring for a major airline. She also criticized Byrnes today for remaining in the race.

"I thought he was no longer running? We all have his statement saying he would no longer run if I remained in the race," she said. "He's being dishonest and disingenuous."

Brynes is a lawyer who works for Red Bank law firm Byrnes, O'Hern & Heugle. He served on the Middletown Township Committee from 2007 to 2010 and has tried several times, unsuccessfully, since then to be re-elected. He also previously ran for state Senate. He was a commander in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Despite their falling out, Byrnes and Sager both criticize what they say is overdevelopment in Middletown, such as the impending Shoppes at Middletown project at the intersection of Kings Highway and Rt. 35. Construction will start there this spring. They also said there is a lack of transparency from Middletown Township government.

As for the Republican candidates:

Hibell was appointed last year to fill out the remainder of Gerry Scharfenberger’s term after he was elected as a county freeholder. Hibell was then elected into the office. He owns a local marine construction company and has been a volunteer firefighter for 25 years, serving as fire chief from 2011 to 2015, according to the Asbury Park Press.

Hibell also previously serving on the Middletown planning board.

He said he wants to keep taxes low, preserve Middletown's safe reputation and have more affordable housing for veterans and first responders.

Settembrino is a Red Bank-based architect who has served on the Middletown Township Committee for the past nine years. Before that, he was a councilman in East Rutherford. He told the Asbury Park Press his goals are to revitalize empty storefronts along Rt. 36 and redevelop the Port Belford area.

Byrnes told the Asbury Park Press he just wants to see a Democrat elected so there is some diversity of thought on the Township Committee. “Five people who all think the same way is not the best way to run a town,” he said.

Related: Middletown Democratic Ticket Collapses After Controversial Video

Middletown Committee Candidate Sager Defends Anti-Cop Comments