One Republican and One Democrat File for Bernards Twp. Committee

One Democrat and one Republican, each already endorsed by their local party organizations, have filed to seek their party's nomination the one seat up for election this fall on the Bernards Township Committee, according to information from Township Clerk Denise Szabo.

Republican Carol Bianchi, who is chair of the Bernards Township Planning Board and was endorsed by the Bernards Township Republican Committee last month, will be listed on the June 4 primary ballot as the Republican nominee for the one three-year term available.

David Ferdinand, who last year sought a seat on the Township Committee as well, has been endorsed by Bernards Township Democrats.

Incumbent Scott Spitzer announced earlier this year he would not seek re-election to another term on the all-Republican Township Committee.

Republicans announced Monday that at 9 a.m. this Saturday there will be a kick-off event to start Bianchi's 2013 Republican Campaign for Bernards Township Committee. The event will take place at the gazebo off Allen Street near downtown Basking Ridge, rain or shine.

Other invitees to the Kick-Off event include Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-7), NJ Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., Assembly Minority Leader Jon Bramnick, Assemblywoman Nancy Muñoz, all district 21 Republican representatives, as well as the Somerset County Freeholders and County Sheriff Frank Provenzano.

Bianchi is an attorney and practiced employment law at Riker Danzig Scherer Hyland & Perretti in Morristown, a magna cum laude graduate from Seton Hall Law School a Political Science and English major with a B.A. from Rutgers University, and a Leadership Somerset graduate 2010. She and her husband Richard have been residents of Bernards Township since 2001. They have four children in the Bernards Township public schools.

“As a Township Committee member I will continue to be a strong advocate for Bernards Township, keep taxes in check, and use collaborative leadership to address the needs of the community," Bianchi said in the release on Monday.

Editor's Note: The time of the kick-off for Bianchi's campaign was changed to 9 a.m. on Saturday, instead of 10 a.m., as per updated information from the local Republican party.