With everything going on in politics this year, I'm sure most of the people reading this article are aware of the craziness at the national level. This election is shaping up to be (and in some ways already is) a record-setting race for the U.S.
But how much have you been paying attention to the local level?
If you haven't been, you should; elections at the local level arguably have an even bigger impact on your every day life than the presidential one. Here are the races you should be paying attention to right here in Monmouth County, New Jersey:
1. Sheriff
Let's not beat around the bush: law enforcement and police tactics are a popular issue right now (and for good reason, too). Many think there's not much we can do about the divide between police and the citizens they protect, but most probably aren't aware that we have the ability to elect our own sheriff who is one of the top law enforcement officials for the county. Our choices this year are Democratic challenger Col. Jeff Cantor and incumbent Republican Sheriff Shaun Golden, who is also the chair of the Monmouth County Republican Party. To me, the choice is clear, but I'll save that for another article. For now, it's just necessary to see how important this race is. With fear of terror attacks growing and victims of police brutality coming to the forefront, this election everyone must take an active role in shaping our law enforcement policies. Who has more of an impact over your everyday safety than police? And who's in charge of the police? The sheriff.
2. Monmouth County Freeholders
You might not be aware of this (I wasn't until two years ago), but we have an elected county government. You may have heard of them: they're called the Board of Chosen Freeholders, and they're chosen by us. You may think, "if I've never heard of them, they must not be important," but you'd be dead wrong. The Freeholders (and no, they aren't just from or for the town of Freehold) control a more than $500 million budget and their decisions impact everything from county roads to parks, schools, taxes and more. Two incumbent Republican Freeholders are up for reelection this year: Serena DiMaso and Tom Arnone. They're up against Democratic challengers Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty (who never raised taxes while in office, even right after Hurricane Sandy), and Sue Fulton, one of the first female West Point graduates who helped advocate for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." So when November comes around, think about who you want spending your local tax dollars, the effects of which you'll notice far faster than at the national level.
3. Surrogate
Another largely unknown elected position is the surrogate, who handles the probating of wills and adoptions in the county. In challenging times like those, that many residents in the county will experience, we need an advocate we can trust. This year our choices are Democratic challenger Vincent Solomeno or Republican incumbent Rosemarie Peters. Read up on the candidates, and decide who you think will protect our most vulnerable citizens in their most challenging times.
4. Your local mayor and council.
There are 53 municipalities in Monmouth County, and each has a mayor and council who control the local police force, local tax dollars and ensure those potholes are filled (as well as basically everything that goes on in your town from new businesses to general regulations). I can't stress enough how important it is to know your mayor and council and to be active in their elections. Your voice is most clearly heard at the local level so use it! Putting pressure on people in these positions is much easier than anyone in Congress. So read up on your local races and make an informed decision!
Right now these four races are what you should be paying attention to in your town. Regardless of what happens in November, these races will have as big -- or possibly a bigger -- impact on your life moving forward. And to think you probably haven't even heard of them...
