By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
WEST WINDSOR Campaign season is just around the corner, but it’s already all systems go for residents Richard “Rick” Visovsky, Republican, and Martin Whitfield, a Democrat, who plan on seeking local office as a team.
This year, three terms are expiring: longtime Mayor Shing-Fu Hsueh and council members Kamal Khanna and Linda Geevers.
Mr. Visovsky, 55, will be vying to become the new mayor and his running mate, Mr. Whitfield, 39, is after one of the open council seats.
In an interview, both candidates and their campaign manager, Rocky Procaccini, talked about their goals to improve West Windsor and what prompted them to get involved in local politics for the first time.
”I felt this was an opportunity to take part in furthering our community and hopefully lead a more responsive government. I’d like the township to be more inclusive of all the individuals in town,” said Mr. Visovsky. “We have a great wealth of talent in this area and I’d like to think anything Martin and I would do would encourage their participation.”
For Mr. Whitfield, getting involved in politics was always in the back of his head. However, when he met Mr. Visovsky in February, he knew it was time to put all his years and experience in volunteer work as well as his public servant mentality to good use.
”The timing was right, I have a servant spirit and I just really want to give back to the community,” said Mr. Whitfield. “I want to step it up to the next level.”
Running as conservative independents, Mr. Visovsky and Mr. Whitfield say their decision to team up had nothing to do with their party affiliations, but by how well their ideas and goals for West Windsor’s government meshed.
”We’re both very fiscally conservative and we like to think of our taxpayers as customers they’re the ones enabling things to go on in this town and make progress,” said Mr. Visovsky, with Mr. Whitfield nodding in agreement. “I don’t sense we have been treated in that manner.”
Pennsylvania native Mr. Visovsky has lived in the community for 22 years and remembers a West Windsor that had a lot fewer people and even fewer traffic lights. While raising his family here, he got involved with Little League fundraisers and high school booster clubs.
With his two children in their 20s, he now concentrates on being the president of the West Windsor Fire Company, an organization he’s been with for 13 years.
He has a background in the energy and minerals industry, has worked with companies in 36 countries and continues to work fulltime as a contractor with an electric company in New York City.
”I have a diverse background and I think the experience I have had over 25 years have provided me with the foundation to work in West Windsor,” said Mr. Visovsky.
Mr. Whitfield’s expertise is in the media and entertainment field, where he has worked in Texas as the main liaison between the NBA and the television networks scheduling games to appear on TV. Prior to that, he was the program coordinator for all of the shows. All the while, he was volunteering in a variety of ways such as mentoring children in shelters, bringing NBA players to the area’s poorest schools and doing prison ministry.
”I always felt a great need to be in the community, it’s just who I am I love people,” said Mr. Whitfield.
Mr. Whitfield added that his love for people and appreciation of diversity is what led him to move to West Windsor seven years ago.
The candidates agreed they might not have official local government experience, but thought their backgrounds made them just as qualified.
Rocky Procaccini, who is chair of the Grover Homestead Restoration Committee, viewed their lack of experience in politics as more of an asset and was happy to back them.
”I think they have the town’s best interest at heart and whatever they present, it’s going to be realistic not some ‘pie in the sky’ dreams or sound bites to get votes,” said Mr. Procaccini. “They’re willing to run this town like a business and empower the people back into the government that’s exactly the thing I want to see.”
