Meet Dan Harris, Running For Woodbridge Council At Large

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — Nov. 4 will be an election for Woodbridge town Council, and in-person early voting starts Oct. 25.

All six current Woodbridge Council members, all Democrats and part of the Mayor McCormac team, ask voters to re-elect them this November. They are challenged by six Republicans.

Patch asked all the candidates a set of questions, and all 12 got back to us. We are publishing their answers now.

Democrat Dan Harris currently holds the Council-at-large seat he is running for; he was appointed to the seat earlier this year. Harris has also been an elected member of the Woodbridge school board since 2012, but he had to quit the school board when he was appointed to the town council.

He is now asking voters to elect him to the Council-at-large seat. He is challenged by Kristi Hanson, a Republican.

What is your name, age and office you are running for? Do you currently hold this office and if so, for how long? Both years and terms.

Daniel Harris, 39, seeking election as an At-Large Councilman to complete the unexpired two-year term vacated by Councilman Ficarra in May 2025. Yes, I am currently serving as Councilman for the past five and a half months.

What is your occupation?

Chief of Staff to New Jersey General Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin

Have you ever run for elected office before? Please list all races and their outcomes.

Yes, I have had the privilege of being elected to the Woodbridge Twp. Board of Education five consecutive times starting in 2012.

What are accomplishments you're proud of having served on the Woodbridge Council?

Since starting in May, I have focused on continuing the work started by my predecessor in the areas of youth services, senior services and health and wellness. Additionally, I have built a Council agenda based on my professional experience such as serving as a liaison to the Board of Education as well as promotion of state property tax relief and energy assistance programs. Besides responsiveness to routine constituent matters, my work is still taking root.

Why should voters vote for you again?

I ask the voters of Woodbridge Township to give me the opportunity to serve them on the Council just as they gave me the honor of five successful terms on the Board of Education. In my twelve years of service, the Board, in partnership with the municipal government, achieved its ambitious goals of two major bond referenda totaling $145 million in capital investments including projects such as replacing or overhauling the districts’ oldest schools, implementing district-wide full day kindergarten and 100% classroom air conditioning, and full-time school-specific security guards to name a few. We also got our fiscal house in order by achieving full State Aid funding, building a robust reserve account, and establishing and maintaining numerous money-saving shared services agreements with the Township. Our Township’s institutions work best when they work together. I plan to keep the spirit of cooperation alive and thriving.

The Republicans challenging you say the Woodbridge Council and Mayor McCormac have allowed too many apartments to be built in Woodbridge, and given too many PILOTs. They say the McCormac team has allowed Woodbridge to become too developed and too crowded. What is your response?

The reality is that none of the referenced school capital accomplishments listed in my question #5 response would have been possible without the PILOT revenue-sharing initiated by the township municipal government from the new economic development projects. Furthermore, the PILOT projects replaced existing, underperforming properties and now generate more tax revenue for the Township than their previous versions. With property taxes being most residents' number one concern, these projects stabilize property tax rates, our annual school budget is unimpacted and our improved school facilities raise the property values of those who live here.

What's your favorite part about living in Woodbridge?

There’s many loves but if choosing one I would say Woodbridge has retained its small-town feel. I’m a lifelong resident who has experienced numerous examples of our connectedness to our neighbors, the multi-generations of families who have raised their families here and contributed to our institutions whether families of firefighters, families committed to sports leagues, family-owned businesses and so on. I often hear, “Woodbridge is the biggest small town in America.”

Meet Kristi Hanson, Running For Woodbridge Council At Large

Woodbridge Republican Candidates Want Less Development And An End To One-Party Rule (Sept. 23)

2025 Woodbridge town council race:

Council at large seat, vote for one:

• Daniel Harris, Democrat, current Councilman
• Kristi Hanson, Republican

Ward 1 seat (Woodbridge proper):

• Sharon McAuliffe Democrat, current Councilwoman, seeks re-election
• Ken Gardner, Republican

Ward 2 seat (Fords/Hopelawn):

• Harold Bauer, Jr. Democrat, current Councilman, seeks re-election
• Paul Lund Republican

Ward 3 seat (Avenel):

• Cory Spillar Democrat, current Councilman, seeks re-election
• Bruce Banko Republican

Ward 4 seat (Iselin):

• Virbhadra Patel Democrat, current Councilman, seeks re-election
• Gnanarani Devaraj Republican

Ward 5 seat (Colonia):

• Debbie Meehan Democrat, current Councilwoman, seeks re-election
• Sam Raval Republican

Election 2025 In Woodbridge: Who's Running, When And Where To Vote