TO THE EDITOR: When my family moved to Madison almost 22 years ago we knew that we were moving to an area with a robust Republican presence in politics.

Morris county was and is more conservative than Essex County, where we had previously lived.

That fact was not at all a factor in our decision to come to Madison, however, since my husband and I assumed that local politics were decided by local issues among people of good will. Our friends and neighbors would be of all political parties and beliefs. For 20 some years, that has proved to be true.

Now I am distressed to conclude that the radicalization of the GOP at the national level may be coming to Morris County and Madison.

The Republicans are refusing to debate the issues in a League of Women Voters forum. Madison has had no public debates in council elections since 2019 because Republicans have not fielded candidates or refused debates.

This time they are obeying party masters at the national and county level who are trying to convince voters that non-partisan is not possible. To paraphrase Stephen Colbert—for them, reality has a liberal bias.

This is so disheartening because I take my vote seriously. I wanted to get to know Lenora Clark and Matt Van Natten. But because of this wrong-headed decision, I will not have the opportunity to hear them debating the issues facing Madison. But I do know now that they are apparently willing to follow the radical, national Republican party line.

I have watched Rachel Ehrlich and Tom Haralampoudis serve this community well for years in many ways. I will be sticking with the team I know will not be representing any far right ideology imposed from Washington.

JOANNE McCARTHY