By Lea Kahn
The Lawrence Township Republican Club unveiled its slate of candidates for three Township Council seats Monday — including two who had previously sought a seat on the municipal governing body.
The three Republicans — Kyle Collins, Colette Coolbaugh and Falk Engel — are running unopposed in the June 7 primary. Ms. Coolbaugh ran for Township Council in 2003 and Mr. Engel ran in 2007.
The three Republicans will square off against Democratic nominees Michael Powers, an incumbent Township Council member, and newcomers Cathleen Lewis and David Maffei in the Nov. 8 general election for four-year terms. At stake is political control of the five-member Township Council.
Republican Councilman Bob Bostock and Democratic Councilwoman Pam Mount are not seeking re-election. Their terms expire Dec.31.
Mr. Collins, 22, lives on West Long Drive. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rider University in 2010, and works in the human resources department at Firmenich, Inc. He was an active participant in the Rebovitch Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider, and served as president and vice president for the Rider College Republican Organization.
Mr. Collins serves on the township Public Safety Advisory Committee, and is a volunteer firefighter with the Lawrence Road Fire Company. He has served as a mentor to young people with Catholic Charities of Trenton.
”I am running because I want to make a difference in the community. I want to bring some fresh ideas from another generation to Township Council,” said Mr. Collins, who is the youngest candidate for Township Council in recent memory.
Drawing on his experience on the Public Safety Advisory Committee, Mr. Collins said he also wants to ensure that the Lawrence Township Police Department has the resources it needs to fight crime in the township.
Mr. Collins also said he would like to “clear the path” for township residents to elect a mayor directly, as opposed to choosing a mayor from among the five council members. A directly elected mayor would give more control of the direction of the community back to the people, he said.
Ms. Coolbaugh, 67, lives on Cliveden Court. She is an attorney and a 30-year resident of Lawrence Township. She previously served as director of the New Jersey state Supreme Court’s Office of Attorney Ethics.
She has served on the Lawrence Historical Society, the township’s Historic Preservation Advisory Committee and the former township Cultural and Heritage Advisory Committee. She served on the township Zoning Board of Adjustment, including a stint as chairman.
”Volunteerism is very important. I enjoy volunteering, and (Township Council) is an opportunity to serve the community,” Ms. Coolbaugh said.
Ms. Coolbaugh said that it’s a good idea to have “fresh blood” on Township Council. It is good to have turnover on the governing body and regardless of the Nov. 8 general election outcome, township residents will benefit, she said.
Mr. Engel, 55, is a lifelong resident of Lawrence Township. He lives on Barnett Road. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Rutgers University School of Law. He specializes in constitutional law and is an adjunct professor at Rutgers University.
Mr. Engel served on the township Planning Board.
He said he is running for Township Council because he has been engaged in “open government and reform work for some time.” He pointed to his involvement in helping Township Council enact pay-to-play reform, including ordinances aimed at developers and redevelopers.
Mr. Engel said he also represented residents who opposed Wal-Mart’s plan to build a new store on Spruce Street. He also represented a group of citizens who opposed the township’s construction of a cell tower on township-owned land on Carter Road, which resulted in litigation.
”What this pattern shows is this government is disconnected and out of touch with the public interest. I believe the people of Lawrence Township are ready to seize the future and claim it as their own. We are ready to elect a government that will be very different from what we have now,” Mr. Engel said.

