Roger Craig once again wants to be a freeholder
By: Brian Shappell
Former South Brunswick Mayor Roger Craig is vying for a seat as on the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
The Middlesex County Republican Organization officially endorsed Mr. Craig and running mate Joe Paone of Woodbridge at the party’s county convention held at the Victorian Manor in Edison Tuesday.
Mr. Craig served as a freeholder for 10 months in 1996 replacing Roger Daley, who resigned before his term expired to become a state Superior Court judge.
If selected as candidates in the June primary, the Republicans will face Democratic incumbents David Crabiel and Camille Fernicola in November. No primary challengers or independents have filed petitions as of Wednesday, according to the county clerk’s office.
During his time as a freeholder, Mr. Craig said he worked on changing the county ethics code to include stricter policies on Human Services contract bidding and to have county business meetings carried on local cable television.
Mr. Craig said he took the opportunity to run this year because he believes it is an important time to revitalize the Republican Party at the county level. The Democrats control all seven freeholder seats and all elected positions at the county level.
"It’s time to challenge this Democratic dominance," he said. "It’s time to build the Republican Party."
Mr. Craig, the township mayor in 1993 and 1994 and a member of the Board of Education in the 1970s, said the most important issue for him was to fight Democratic-endorsed tax increases.
"We need to say enough and have another voice in there to fight tax increases," Mr. Craig.