HILLSBOROUGH: Bob Wagner withdraws from local race

He accepts state government job that bars him holding office

By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
   Bob Wagner will withdraw from the Township Committee race, following his acceptance of a state government job.
   Mr. Wagner will start in the state Department of Labor starting July 2, according to a release from the local Republican Party. The job falls under the provisions of the Hatch Act, which bars government employees whose positions are supported by federal funds from running for public office.
   Mr. Wagner will complete his current term, which expires in December.
   Two people will be elected to three-year terms in November.
   The decision skews an already tumultuous local race. It leaves Mayor Carl Suraci, who teamed with Mr. Wagner in 2003, 2006 and 2009, looking for a running mate.
   Democrats had only one person — local party chairman Michael Goldberg — file in time to be listed on the June primary ballot, but enough Democrats wrote in lifelong township resident Jim Farley to qualify for the second spot for the fall. Mr. Farley is a 40-plus year member of the fire department and a chimney sweep business owner.
   Also, independent Judd Mandel, a landscaping firm owner who said he was interested in sustainability issues, filed on primary election day to qualify for a spot on the fall ballot.
   Mr. Wagner served as mayor in 2005, and has also served two stints as deputy mayor. The Republican announcement noted Mr. Wagner was known for his “seemingly endless reserve of grace and good humor, his tireless advocacy of open space and farmland preservation, and his strong interest in recreation programs.” As a trained EMT, he was also a member of the Community Emergency Response Team, and was dedicated in his support for local emergency services, it said.
   ”I have very much enjoyed my time on the Township Committee, and am sad to end it, but the law is the law,” said Mr. Wagner. “It has been a privilege to serve our community, and to be a part of some great accomplishments on its behalf, over the past nine years. I think that I’ve been able to leave Hillsborough a better place, which is what I set out to do. I’m now looking forward to serving the people of New Jersey in a wider capacity.”
   ”It will be strange to run without him this year,” reflected Mayor Suraci. “‘Suraci and Wagner’ has been a successful team since 2003, both on campaign and in office, and it has been a constant pleasure throughout that time to work with Bob. All of us on the Township Committee wish him well in his new job, but we also wish he could have been able to remain with us.”
   The local Republican party organization must select a replacement for Mr. Wagner on the November ballot. Local party chairman Dr. Steven Sireci said the special meeting for endorsing a new candidate will be held soon, and the whole process should not take more than “a couple of weeks.”