Vote Today: Bernards Primary Elections Guide

Today is primary election day, and in Bernards, the only race that is up for grabs at this stage is for the U.S. House of Representatives seat.

Republicans will be able to cast a vote for seven positions, and Democrats have six seats open, only one of which in both cases is contested. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., and only registered voters who are affiliated with a party may participate. Unaffiliated voters may declare a party at the polls, however, if they wish to do so.

House of Representatives 11th District

The U.S. Congressional seat is contested on both the Republican and Democratic sides. The incumbent, Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen – currently serving his eight term in office – will be challenged by candidate Richard T. Luzzi, who is running with a "Constitutional Conservative" tagline.

Frelinghuysen joined the United States Army in 1969 after graduating from Hobart College, and later served in the Vietnam. After returning to the states, Frelinghuysen served as a Morris County freeholder from 1974-1983, and then in the NJ General Assembly from 1983-1994. He took his current office in 1995.

As a former serviceman, Frelinghuysen has been active in championing veterans' causes, recently appearing at the fifth anniversary celebration of the Hope for Veterans program at the Lyons VA Hospital.

Luzzi is running as a Tea Party candidate. His website states, "This campaign is in keeping with the Tea Party movement; to return America to its Constitutional founding principles. We need: smaller, less intrusive government at all levels, lower taxes, personal responsibility and honesty in government."

On the Democratic side of the ballot, Somerset County Democratic Committee candidate Douglas Herbert will run against candidate James D. Kelly, Jr.

Herbert is a Chatham resident who practices law at his own law firm in Brooklyn. He served in the U.S. Army from for four years after high school before getting his degree at Columbia University and J.D. at Seton Hall Law School. Herbert currently serves on the Chatham Zoning Board of Adjustment as well as the Recreation Committee. He was also the founding member of the Chatham Green Initiatives committee.

James D. Kelly Jr. is running for political office for the third time in the past five years. Kelly lost Democratic primaries for U.S. Senate in 2006 (receiving 15 percent of the vote) and NJ Governor (receiving 8 percent of the vote). He is running with an "End Corruption in Government" tagline, and is incorrectly listed as a column one Democrat in Morris County.

County Positions

Current Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano, Surrogate Frank Bruno and Freeholder Patricia Walsh will all seek another term in the primary. All three candidates are runninging uncontested. More information on each can be found in the Basking Ridge article on the Somerset County Republican Organization's endorsement of the three candidates.

The Democratic challengers for each of the positions will be: Richard Arline for sheriff, a member of the Franklin Township school board and former law enforcement officer with 30 years of experience, Benjamin Laves for surrogate, an attorney from Franklin Township with over 25 years of solo practice in law, focusing on estate planning and trust administration, and Joseph DeMarco for freeholder, currently a councilman in Bernardsville.

Local Races

Current Bernards Mayor Scott Spitzer will seek reelection to the Township Committee unopposed in the Republican primary, and as of now, unopposed in the general election as well. No Democratic candidate filed to run in the party's primary for Township Committee.

Each district will also vote for a male a female respentative to the Republican or Democratic county committees, depending on his or her party affiliation. The county committee representatives are responsible for endorsing a candidate for each of the available positions during primary season, the winner receiving placement in column one of the ballot.

Where to Vote

Residents vote based on the location of their district, which can be found by visiting this website and typing in your address. The location and hours of your poll will be listed in the result. For those who already know their district number, the list below provides the poll locations.

The polling places by district will be:

• Basking Ridge Firehouse - Districts 2, 4 and 7
• Liberty Corner Firehouse - Districts 12 and 14
• Fellowship Village - Districts 16 and 20
• Hills Recreation Center - Districts 21, 22, 23 and 24
• Bernards Township Community Center - Districts 9, 10 and 17
• Ridge Oak Senior Housing - District 3
• Bernards Township Library - Districts 1 and 6
• Society Hill at Bernards II Clubhouse - Districts 13 and 18
• Somerset Hills Lutheran Church - Districts 5 and 8
• Spring Ridge Clubhouse - Districts 11, 15 and 19

The County Clerk suggests always bringing identification to your polling place when you vote to aid the process.