Committeewoman Ali Henkel announced she is resigning later this month.
By: Steve Rauscher
MONTGOMERY First she left the party.
Now she’s leaving town.
Eight months after switching from a Republican to a Democrat, Township Committeewoman Ali Henkel announced Thursday that she is resigning later this month and moving to Manchester, Vt.
"It’s been an honor to serve Montgomery," Ms. Henkel told the committee. "And an honor to serve with all of you."
Elected in 1998, Ms. Henkel had planned to serve out her full term which ends Jan. 1 and move to New England early next year. But she and her family decided it would be easier on Ms. Henkel’s 15-year-old daughter if she started at her new school in September.
"We agonized over it," Ms. Henkel said. "But this is the best thing."
Ms. Henkel’s abrupt departure will likely reshape the committee’s political face at a critical time.
Now a Democrat, Ms. Henkel was elected as a Republican and must therefore be replaced by a member of the GOP. That will leave Louise Wilson as the lone Democrat on the five-person committee.
Ms. Wilson, who is a replacement for former Committeeman Jim Irish, will have to step down after election day Nov. 6, when either Republican Mark Caliguire or Democrat Karen Wintress, who are running for the seat originally occupied by Mr. Irish, will fill the remaining 13 months of that term. Ms. Wilson is running for one of the two three-year seats left vacant by Ms. Henkel and Republican Peter Treichler, who is not seeking re-election.
"It really is confusing," said Montgomery Republican Municipal Chairman Ted Maciag. "We’re still not 100-percent sure of the procedure."
Each of Montgomery’s Township Committee seats usually comes up for election every three years, Mr. Maciag said. But because Mr. Irish stepped down so early in his term, New Jersey law states that the position must be filled through the election process at the earliest opportunity.
"The way the law works is they’ll let committees and municipal parties fill vacancies, but who they really trust is the people," Mr. Maciag said.
For that reason, this year’s ballot will feature four candidates two from each partycompeting for two three-year terms, and two candidates competing to serve the remainder of Mr. Irish’s term.
"Whoever wins (Mr. Irish’s) seat if they want to get re-elected have to immediately start running (for re-election next year)," Mr. Maciag said.
Because Ms. Henkel’s term expires this year, whomever is appointed to fill her seat will serve until Jan. 1.
The Montgomery Republican Caucus will meet near the end of this month to choose three candidates for the spot, Mr. Maciag said. The final choice will be determined by a Township Committee vote.
Though it is still unclear exactly who will fill Ms. Henkel’s seat, the three names the caucus will likely float to the committee will be Mark Caliguire, Paul Kadri and Fred Gladstone, the three Republican candidates for this year’s election.
"Any one of those candidates is immensely qualified," Mr. Maciag said. "I think there’s no question that those are the people the caucus will turn to."
Republican Committeeman Don Matthews said the committee may shy away from Mr. Caliguire because he is running for the one-year term, and if he were elected in November, he would have to fill that spot right away, leaving another vacancy.
"I don’t think that would make a lot of sense," Mr. Matthews said.
Ms. Henkel said she will have "no input at all" in picking her replacement.
"But I hope if they replace me, that they’ll replace me with someone who has the time to do it," she said.
Whomever the committee settles on will have a serious workload. Ms. Henkel was a member of the Transportation Committee, the Environmental Commission, the Open Space Committee and the Wildlife Management Committee.
"I think it’s going to be hard to delegate those tasks," Ms. Henkel said. "But those committees will get along fine without me."
"She’s a very bright woman," Mr. Matthews said of Ms. Henkel. "She gets a little hyper sometimes, but she’s certainly got the town’s interest at heart."
"It’s the loss of an independent voice. That’s something I’ve always admired about Ali," Ms. Wilson said. "You always know where she stands. She’s a straight talker."