Nonpartisan Election In Red Bank: More Candidates Seek Office

RED BANK, NJ — The field of candidates that will be running - or not running - in the upcoming May 9 nonpartisan Borough Council election continues to shape up.

This weekend, five-term councilmember Ed Zipprich announced he is retiring as of July and will not seek re-election.

Zipprich, former head of the Democratic party in town, opposed a change to a nonpartisan form of government, brought in by a referendum this November. But, in a statement, he cited several other reasons for his decision, including wanting time to spend with his family.

Meanwhile, Suzanne Viscomi, a longtime member of the Red Bank Board of Education and former council candidate, filed a petition to run in the May election, Borough Clerk Laura Reinertsen confirmed.

And a new slate of candidates, Red Bank Together, that includes current Councilmembers Michael Ballard, Jacqueline Sturdivant and John Jackson, all political allies of Zipprich, also announced its candidacy for local office. Current Councilmember Angela Mirandi is not seeking re-election.

In addition, already having filed petitions to run is the Red Bank's Ready team, led by Mayor Billy Portman for mayor. Running for council seats on the team are current Councilmember Kate Triggiano; Ben Forest of the Red Bank school board; former Charter Study Commission Chairperson Nancy Blackwood; and David Cassidy, Laura Jannone and Kristina Bonatakis, the campaign said in an announcement Feb. 6.

Ed Zipprich retires

Zipprich, after 17 years in public service as a councilman and former Red Bank Democratic Party chairman, explained why he chose not to seek re-election.

Citing his 2019 cancer battle, followed by a serious pulmonary embolism the same year, Zipprich reflected on what he said were the personal challenges he managed while continuing to honor his oath of office.

“I’ve dedicated decades of my life to serving our town while simultaneously caring for my mom, who died last November. Losing her, along with both of JP’s parents to COVID-19, made me realize that life truly is short. I now want to dedicate myself to enjoying my husband, our daughter and son in-law, our families, friends and our lives," he said.

He added that "I’m very grateful to the voters of Red Bank for their stalwart support and plan to remain an active, politically engaged civilian.”

Zipprich said he entered borough life because of his passion for historic preservation and spearheaded the creation of the Washington Street Historic District, while serving as a commissioner on Red Bank’s Historic Preservation Commission.

Zipprich’s term will end when the new Borough Council and Mayor are seated in July, after the May election.

Democratic party split

Councilman Jackson, a Zipprich supporter, said he found Zipprich's decision to retire "understandable" because "despite being a dedicated civil servant and leader of the Democratic party for years, he has been constantly assailed by political opponents who've irreparably damaged his reputation," Jackson said in a statement.

Red Bank has been beset with Democratic party infighting - including when Zipprich did not support former Mayor Pat Menna's candidacy for re-election, instead supporting Councilman Michael Ballard. This prompted an independent primary run for mayor by Portman.

Portman, also a Democrat, won the mayoral race. Jackson and Mirandi defeated Republican candidates to win election to the council in November. And Councilmember Triggiano became head of the Democratic party in the borough after Zipprich's ouster from that role.

Jackson said Zipprich was criticized by Triggiano supporters for simultaneously holding a council seat and the Democratic municipal chair, while Triggiano now holds both seats "and there has been no outcry," Jackson said.

But Triggiano said the criticism was not relevant to the new Democratic municipal committee.

She said, with a nonpartisan government, the local Democratic party will no longer be choosing candidates for the council - a welcome change in her mind, she said. Her role as municipal chair now deals with "up-ticket races," she said - the Assembly and state Senate and higher state and national offices.

"We're no longer embroiled in local politics," she said in response to Jackson's criticism.

Suzanne Viscomi

Meanwhile, Viscomi, said she is running as an Independent. She has made three previous Independent runs, and once as a Republican, she said.

"I'm not part of any slate," she said, adding that this will help her approach issues independently.

Viscomi, an accountant by profession, is on the school board and the library board and she has made it a practice to videotape various borough meeting so they can be viewed by the public at any time - not just during the live Zoom period, she said.

Viscomi said she will soon put out a fuller political statement about her views and platforms, but she wanted to make getting the petition filed a priority.

Red Bank Together

On Tuesday, the latest slate of candidates announced its candidacy. Leading the team is mayoral candidate Timothy Hogan, along with Borough Council candidates Ballard, Sturdivant and Jackson joined by Sean Murphy, Linda Hill and Erin Fleming.

Jackson said the slate is "in the midst" of the process to file petitions. They have not been filed as yet.

They have "joined together to create a dynamic new slate of seasoned professionals dedicated to ending the political divisiveness that had existed in local municipal government for far too long," the slate said in a statement.

The slate includes three ''newcomers to politics and two registered independents," its statement said.

Leading the ticket is resident and Independent voter and Riverview Medical Center
President/Chief Hospital Executive Tim Hogan. He also served for many years as chair of the Red Bank Kaboom Fireworks Committee.

Apart from the current councilmembers seeking re-election, political newcomers Linda Hill, in nonprofit development; documentary filmmaker Erin Fleming; and union leader/Red Bank Zoning board member Sean Murphy are seeking office on the council.

“I’m very excited to be running for mayor on the Red Bank Together ticket,” said Hogan.

“Our team embraces a nonpartisan approach to serving the community. Our combined experiences and talents unite around our commitment to civil, engaged leadership that always puts Red Bank residents first.”

Petitions to run in the election must be filed with the borough clerk by March 6.

Zipprich legacy

Although Zipprich plans to retire from politics, his legacy continues.

He was appointed to the Planning Board by former Mayor Ed McKenna in 2006, and "was invited by Mayor Pat Menna to run in the special election council race in 2007," he said. He lost by 50 votes, but ran the following year with Juanita Lewis, and both won and were sworn in Jan. 1, 2009.

During his time in office, Zipprich said he "oversaw the creation of the Washington Street Historic District; added the Historic Element to the Master Plan; championed the mission to save the T. Thomas Fortune House; and led the fight to restore the Red Bank train station to its original splendor."

As Red Bank’s first openly gay council member, Zipprich said he has "long championed the rights of the LGBTQ community at the local, state and national levels." He served as president of the NJ Stonewall Democrats and spent years advocating for the right to marry, he said.

He and his husband were the first couple to exchange vows at midnight in Borough Hall on Oct. 21, 2013, the day New Jersey legalized same-sex marriage, he said.