Touting a decade-plus of growth, Tim Dougherty has announced his bid for a fifth term as mayor of Morristown, running on a slate with three Democratic incumbent council members who swept their respective races in 2021.
“You run on your record,” Dougherty told the Daily Record on Friday. “That’s all you can do. Run on your record, who you are and what you stand for, and at the end if they re-elect you, you serve four more years.”
His ticket will include at-large Council President Nathan Umbriac, Councilwoman Toshiba Foster and Councilman David Silva.
No apparent Democratic primary challengers have arisen yet, but Dougherty can expect competition in November from independent Andrea Lekburg, a political novice who owns the Artist Baker bakery and cafe in town.
Republican Andrew DeLaney, son of former Mayor John Jay DeLaney, announced his bid for a council seat in December. Other than independent Robert Iannaccone, the council is entirely Democratic. Alison Deeb, the last Republican elected to the council, left office in 2019. DeLaney’s father was the last Republican mayor in Morristown, leaving office in 2005. He died in 2022.
Morristown Mayor states his case
Dougherty’s ticket is heading into the election with the slogan, “Morristown Moving Forward.”
“Morristown is a special place, and I am mindful every day that I have a major responsibility to ensure that Morristown continues to be the ideal town to live, to work and to raise a family, as well as to feel safe and proud to call it home,” Dougherty said in his campaign kickoff statement on Tuesday.
The announcement states that under Dougherty’s leadership, “Morristown continues to see significant commercial development and relocations that have led to record level permit revenue for the town.”
Most recently, KPMG, one of the industry’s so-called “Big 4” accounting firms, announced a lease at M Station, one of several office buildings built in town during the Dougherty administration. They join fellow “Big 4” firm Deloitte at the downtown site.
“The increased revenue and investments in Morristown have led to significant improvements in public infrastructure and program upgrades including roads, drainage and parks adding to town safety initiatives and quality of life improvements,” the Dougherty announcement stated.
More:Morristown’s M Station development hits milestone with ‘topping out’
Although the mayor’s office is listed as a part-time job, Dougherty, 66, said he’s effectively a full-timer. He retired in March of 2022 as the chief engineer at the Prudential Center in Newark.
“I’m doing the job seven days a week. I’m in town all the time. People can find me.”
Pushing public safety
Dougherty is emphasizing public safety on the campaign trail, including the hiring of additional police officers, among them several bilingual recruits. The Morristown Police Community Engagement Unit, he said, has increased “communication and collaboration with all our residents, making Morristown a safer place for residents and guests alike.”
Dougherty said he has concerns about President Donald Trump’s promised crackdown on illegal immigration. It’s led to anxiety for some residents in a town where about 30% of the population identifies as Hispanic or Latino.
Trump has suggested he could cut funding for declared sanctuary cities if they do not cooperate with immigration authorities. Morristown is not a sanctuary city, “but is fair and welcoming,” the mayor said.
“We have an immigrant community on edge,” he said. “I think the whole nation is on edge. We will be here one day at a time and deal with the challenges ahead of us as a community.”
Challenger says she wants to ‘give back’
Contacted by the Daily Record on Thursday, Lekberg said she is not ready to discuss her campaign platform in detail yet. But she was inspired to declare her candidacy in a social media post on Martin Luther King Day “in celebration and in thinking about his life of service,” she said.
“Many of you know I have been working towards this for some time, with the clear objective to give back to the community that has done so much for me,” Lekberg said in her video post. “I will let you know when my campaign website is up and you will be able to follow and support my progress there. I look forward to running and being your voice at Town Hall.”
Lekberg has lived in Morristown and run the Artist Baker for the last 17 years. This is her first attempt at elected office, but she has a history of public service. Appointed by Dougherty, she sits on the town planning board. As an artist, she supports community programs at Morris Arts and the Mennen Arena.
“I believe I have the leadership skills and an understanding of local government,” she told the Daily Record. “I believe I have the ability to do the job.”
Lekberg said voters can expect more details from her campaign “after the primaries.”
