Rumson Officials Tout GOP Candidates for Borough Council

Until very recently, Rumson's Republican candidates for Borough Council, incumbent Joseph Hemphill and newcomer to the race, Laura Atwell, were running for the two seats up for grabs opposed only by Democrats Michael Steinhorn and Philip Wagner.

The two, who have run before in an attempt to break the longstanding Republican hold on the governing body and lost, have run a low-profile campaign.

Now, in a last-minute move, a write-in campaign under the moniker of Rumson Family has emerged.

Rumson officials have forwarded Patch's questionnaire to Hemphill and Atwell. Those questionnaires, along with those of all other candidates will be published when they are returned.

In the meantime, officials have forwarded the following information endorsing Hemphill and Atwell.

"Their experience and commitment will ensure that the tradition of good and responsive government continues to benefit all residents and families the the Borough of Rumson," Rumson Mayor John Ekdahl said in a released statement.

Joseph Hemphill  

Joe has been a resident of the Borough his entire life, and he and his wife, Robin, raised their two children in Rumson. He attended Rumson's Holy Cross School and his children attended the Rumson Public School System.

Joe has served on Borough Council for the past seven years. He is chairman of the Building and Engineering Committee and was instrumental in the rebuilding of the Borough's infrastructure after Sandy. We are fortunate to have a man of his experience serving the residents of Rumson.

Laura Atwell  

Laura is a graduate of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School and has been a resident of the Borough for the past 23 years.

Her two children attended both public and private schools in the borough. For the past four years, Laura has served on the Borough's Zoning Board and she welcomes the opportunity to extend that experience to serve Rumson residents as a member of Borough Council.

Rumson Borough Council Facts:

• Rumson is consistently recognized as one of the top communities in NJ. In 2011 NJ Monthly ranked Rumson as the top municipality among medium population communities.
• Current council members are parents to 15 children, all of whom have attended Rumson public and/or private schools.
• The council is a leader in an effective partnership with our school districts and neighboring communities to share costs while providing the top-notch services our residents expect.
• Our recreation program offers Rumson families over 20 programs annually and involves more than 3,500 participants of all ages.
• We have been instrumental in establishing the Community Alliance, focused on devising and implementing strategies to assist the community in solving the issues of abuse of alcohol, and legal and illegal drugs.
• All Borough Council members and all board members of the borough serve as volunteers without any form of compensation.
• Each current Council Member has served for an average of 16 years on various Boards and Committees for our Borough. 
• Each current council member spends an average of 350 hours each year keeping our town running smoothly for the betterment of the families and residents of Rumson.