Dems’ nod to run
for state Senate
By jeanette M. eng
Staff Writer
Ellen Karcher
MARLBORO — Township Council President Ellen Karcher is looking to add "senator" to her title.
In a deliberation process that began in August 2002 and initially included plans to run for a seat in the state Assembly and then a change of plans to run for the state Senate, Karcher has finally made a formal decision to seek the Democratic nomination for Senator in the 12th District.
Municipalities in the district are Colts Neck, Fair Haven, Englishtown, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Little Silver, Manalapan, Marlboro, Millstone Township, Red Bank, Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Township, Oceanport and Tinton Falls in Monmouth County, and East Windsor and Hightstown in Mercer County.
Republican John O. Bennett III of Little Silver is the present state senator from the 12th District.
Bennett is the co-president of the state Senate, which has 40 members.
In the 18 months that Karcher has been involved with the council, she has had her plate full enough to prove a few things.
"A lot of things have come to the floor that people were afraid to talk about before," Karcher explained. "I think residents are happy to see people who are able to say, ‘Something’s fishy; let’s get to the bottom of it.’ "
A Democratic mini-convention will take place in Monmouth County on April 5 at which time it is expected that party leaders will pick a Senate candidate and two Assembly candidates.
The 12th District Assembly seats are also presently held by Republicans, Clare Farragher and Michael Arnone.
Karcher said that if she is elected to the Senate in November, she believes she will have a positive effect within that body and specifically hopes to work toward change in the issue of campaign finance.
"I want to end the practice of people taking their positions and leveraging them for personal gain," she said. "We need a new direction for the legislative district."
Karcher’s recent exposure to a series of incidents involving Marlboro’s political atmosphere have created an "unprecedented environment" for her. This experience has played a part, however, in forming the cornerstone of Karcher’s campaign.
"I want things to be much more transparent so that we don’t need newspaper reports to connect the dots as to why thing happen," she said. "It’s time for a new political culture."
Karcher said her other areas of focus as a state senator would include open space preservation, smart growth, regional planning, meaningful property tax reform and auto insurance reform.
In a press release, Karcher said she is confident she will win the Democratic nomination at the April 5 mini-convention and is also confident about winning in November.
"But regardless of the outcome of the nomination process, I will support the decision of the delegates," Karcher said. "I will not force a primary and cost our party precious resources and squander this unprecedented opportunity to promote the values that we as Democrats share."
As to her decision not to force a primary if she does not receive the nomination, Karcher said she believes it would be foolish to create a situation of infighting.
Karcher believes that coming from a family of political figures has fueled her interest in public service. Her mother, Peggy, is a Princeton Borough councilwoman and her late father, Alan, was a former speaker of the state Assembly. In addition, her family tree includes a grandfather who was an assemblyman and a great-great uncle who was a senator.
"I grew up in an environment where every night consisted of discussions about state politics and [her father’s] beliefs about politics," Karcher said.