In an exciting night for candidates and supporters of the Madison Democrats, Mayor Bob Conley and Council member Bob Landrigan were re-elected to their fourth terms. John Forte, who had been serving in an unexpired term after being appointed to the council in May, was elected to his first three-year term. Melissa Honohan will serve for the remaining year of that unexpired term after winning her first election to council.
In the only contested races, unofficial results from the Madison Borough Clerk’s Office the evening of November 7 showed Forte and Landrigan with a wide lead over Republican candidate Michael Martinez. Forte led with 2,627 votes, followed by Landrigan with 2,424 votes and Martinez with 1,761. The Morris County Clerk election tracker has the latest results, which are still pending uncounted VBM and provisional ballots.
At an election night celebration that filled the room, Mayor Conley thanked supporters and the multitude of volunteers who made this sweeping victory possible. As he stated when he announced his plans to run again: “I’m proud of much of what has been achieved under my leadership as your mayor, but I am also motivated to run for another term to continue the good work and to rise to the challenges we currently face. Simply put, I have unfinished business.”
Bob Landrigan was also grateful that the voters expressed their confidence in him to continue to serve the Madison community. In a recent statement, Landrigan shared: “I have devoted myself to giving back to the community. I appreciate living and serving in a town whose residents value and look out for one another, where fiscal prudence and careful budgeting has helped us weather the uncertainty of recent years, and where volunteerism is one of its greatest assets.”
John Forte, who has been serving in a temporary role since being appointed in May, was honored that voters made it clear that they want him to continue for another three years on council and build on the good work already being done. “I have felt both blessed by the good fortune to be living in this wonderful town and by a strong sense of responsibility as a steward of Madison for future generations,” he explained in a recent statement. “As I was making the decision to run for Council, I felt gratitude for all the good work being performed by the current Council and mayor, but I also felt strongly that I could have a positive impact in a number of areas.”
Melissa Honohan answered the call to serve when she agreed to run for the remaining one-year unexpired term on council. “Madison has been a part of my life for some of my most meaningful years – offering a strong sense of community, great schools and activities for my daughter, the ability to shop locally and enjoy its many parks and trails, and a clear connection between values and action,” she explained recently. “I realize this doesn’t just happen – all these incredible amenities take years of hard work, focus and commitment from leaders and the entire community. I heard the call of, “If not us, who?” and realized that I needed to step up.”
MDC co-chairs Alix Jennings and Christine Preston shared their thoughts on election night: “The Madison Democratic Committee congratulates all the candidates on their decisive win. Madison voters clearly appreciate how well run our town is and the hard work, dedication, and experience these candidates all bring to the table. We look forward to all that they will accomplish to continue to make Madison an amazing, thriving community.”
Melissa Honohan will be sworn in at the next Council meeting on Monday November 13.