Candidates

Town & County Candidates

Melonie Marano

Deputy Director, Somerset County Board of County Commissioners; Green Brook resident

Elected county commissioner; currently Deputy Director. Term ends 12/31/2025. Green Brook is her home base. Somerset County

  • As a commissioner, votes on the county budget and capital plan that fund roads/bridges, recycling/solid waste, transportation, public health, parks/open space, and more.
  • Liaises to Public Works (roads/bridges, recycling, transportation) and related boards/commissions (Open Space, Library, etc.), positioning her to steer infrastructure and service delivery that reach Green Brook.

  • Publicly represents county on infrastructure/resilience and civic leadership (e.g., Leadership Somerset). The portfolio she oversees aligns with flood control, roads/traffic safety, and recycling services Green Brook residents rely on. Instagram+1

  • Deputy Director on the ballot; outcome affects whether Somerset’s capital dollars keep prioritizing flood mitigation and small-town equity versus being pulled toward larger municipalities. Somerset County+1

  • Marano has formal responsibility for the very departments that touch Green Brook daily (roads, recycling, transportation). Opponents lack comparable county-level control or a record moving county dollars into small towns. Somerset County+1

Elizabeth (“Liz”) Graner

Somerset County Commissioner; educator; appointed June 2025

Longtime public school English teacher (Rahway). Appointed and sworn in June 24, 2025 to fill a vacancy; now the Democratic nominee for the unexpired term. Prior service: Somerset County Board of Taxation; Commission on the Status of Women; Leadership Somerset alum. Somerset County+1

  • Votes on county budgeting and policy—especially where kids, families, and workforce needs intersect with transportation, public health, and parks. Education lens at the county level is rare and valuable.

  • Safe infrastructure for families (roads/bridges, trails), transparent budgeting, and clean environment—issues she’s emphasized in public bios and local party profiles.

  • As a new commissioner with a schools/families background, her election locks in a voice focused on everyday services (roads, parks, health) rather than culture-war noise—exactly where county government actually operates.

  • Graner brings front-line educator experience and county tax-board know-how. Opponents typically lack direct classroom perspective or county taxation chops—two angles that drive fair service delivery to towns like Green Brook.

Bernice “Tina” Jalloh, Esq.

Somerset County Surrogate (elected countywide)

Sworn in Jan 1, 2021. Attorney; JD (Rutgers), MPA (Rutgers), BS (Syracuse). Volunteer service with Legal Services of NJ. First woman of color to serve as Somerset County Surrogate. Somerset County+1

  • Probate of wills, appointment of estate administrators/executors, supervision of guardianships (minors/incapacitated adults), and adoption-related matters—high-stakes, family-impact decisions. Somerset County

  • When families here lose a loved one or need guardianship help, this office is the door they walk through. Efficient, compassionate handling = fewer delays/fees and clearer outcomes.

  • Continued modernization and accessibility (forms, plain-language guidance, outreach) vs. risking a return to harder-to-navigate, less equitable processes.

  • Jalloh’s legal background in estates/family law plus her outreach focus translate to smoother, fairer service. Opponents offer less subject-matter depth in probate/guardianship administration.

Darrin J. Russo

Somerset County Sheriff (countywide law enforcement; term expires 12/31/2025)

40 years in law enforcement; retired Lieutenant, Franklin Township Police; resident since 1989; married, five children. Re-elected; current term ends 12/31/2025. NJ Sheriff+2Somerset County+2

  • Runs county jail and courthouse security, manages warrants/civil process, and supports local police with specialized units. Countywide coordination during major incidents. Somerset County

  • When incidents scale beyond local capacity, the Sheriff’s Office supplies manpower and specialized resources. It also affects transport of detainees, courtroom safety, and cross-jurisdiction operations touching GB residents. Somerset County

  • Choice between a sheriff with deep operational experience and continuity on training/standards vs. uncertainty about policies that affect transparency, de-escalation, and collaboration with local PDs. NJ Sheriff+1

  • Russo’s long service and current command experience are known quantities; opponents generally lack executive command of a countywide law-enforcement agency. NJ Sheriff

District 21 Candidates

Vincent “Vinnie” Kearney

Democratic candidate, NJ General Assembly, District 21; Union County Sheriff’s Officer; former Garwood Councilman

Two-term Garwood Councilman; Union County Sheriff’s Officer; prior work as 9-1-1 dispatcher and EMT. Local family roots; academy instructor. New Jersey Globe+1

  • State budget (school aid, flood control, NJ Transit/Route 22), state laws on public safety, housing, property-tax relief. LD21’s delegation negotiates district priorities in Trenton. NJ Spotlight News

  • Law-and-infrastructure lens is directly useful for GB’s flood mitigation, traffic/Route 22 issues, and school-aid fights that dampen local property taxes. NJ Spotlight News

  • LD21 is competitive; a pickup here influences who controls committees and the budget agenda in Trenton—determining whether GB’s flood and school priorities rise or stall. NJ Spotlight News

  • Kearney brings municipal governing experience plus operational public-safety background; GOP incumbents have seniority but have not prioritized GB-specific flood and Route 22 fixes. (Race context: Kearney and Andrew Macurdy are the Dem slate vs. GOP incumbents.) Ballotpedia

Andrew Macurdy

Democratic candidate, NJ General Assembly, District 21; attorney; former federal prosecutor

Attorney; prior federal prosecutor; education: Swarthmore (BA) and Harvard Law School (JD); local civic involvement noted in public bios. Macurdy for Assembly+1

  • State budget and oversight—legal background suited to committee work on judiciary, public safety, ethics. Could press for accountability at agencies that control school aid and flood dollars.

  • Prosecutorial/oversight skill set aligns with making state agencies deliver on flood control timelines and equitable school funding, taking pressure off GB property taxes.

  • With LD21 on a knife’s edge, electing Macurdy helps secure a pro-funding majority for flood projects and school aid, directly affecting GB’s wallet and safety.

  • Macurdy offers a clean legal/oversight profile and reform-oriented posture; GOP incumbents bring tenure but a status-quo approach that hasn’t solved LD21’s persistent property-tax and infrastructure pain points.