Editing Bethlehem Township, New Jersey (section)

==Government==

===Local government===
Bethlehem Township is governed under the [[Township (New Jersey)|Township]] form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state.<ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf ''Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey''], [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters [[at-large]] in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.<ref name=DataBook>''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', [[Rutgers University]] [[Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy]], March 2013, p. 103.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=7 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"], p. 7. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor.

{{As of|2024}}, members of the Bethlehem Township Committee are [[Mayor]] Paul J. Muir ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], term on committee ends December 31, 2026; term as mayor ends 2024), [[Deputy Mayor]] Judy Nelson (R, term on committee ends 2026; term as deputy mayor ends 2024), Steve Keefe (R, 2024), Robert G. Kenny (R, 2025) and Paul Lenzi Jr. (R, 2024).<ref name=Committee>[https://bethlehemnj.org/remote-meetings/ Township Committee], Township of Bethlehem. Accessed October 10, 2024.</ref><ref>[https://d369gx05woxg8v.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/03141303/ADOPTED__2024-BUDGET.pdf 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Township of Bethlehem. Accessed October 10, 2024.</ref><ref name=HunterdonPage>[https://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/899/Bethlehem-Township Township of Bethlehem], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]]. Accessed October 10, 2024.</ref><ref name=HunterdonDirectory>[https://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/13706/2023-County-Directory?bidId=#page=44 ''2023 County and Municipal Directory''], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]]. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2023>[https://www.co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/13515/2023-General-Election-Official-Results-PDF?bidId= 2023 Official Statement of Results General Election November 7, 2023], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]], November 17, 2023. Accessed January 1, 2024.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2022>[https://co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/9118/G2022-Official-SOV-PDF Hunterdon County District Canvass November 8, 2022, General Election], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]], updated November 21, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Hunterdon2021>[https://co.hunterdon.nj.us/DocumentCenter/View/6226/2021-General-Election-Official-Results-by-Municipality-PDF November 2, 2021 District Report Hunterdon County Official Results], [[Hunterdon County, New Jersey]], updated November 12, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

At a special meeting in July 2015, The Township Committee selected Jose Medeiros to fill the seat expiring in December 2017 that was vacated earlier that month following the resignation of John Graefe, who was moving out of the township.<ref>[https://d369gx05woxg8v.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/29105617/July-28-2015-Special-Meeting.pdf Special Township Meeting Minutes July 28, 2015], Bethlehem Township. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Bethlehem Township's municipal buildings are located on Mine Road.<ref name=HunterdonPage/>

<gallery>
File:Bethlehem Township, NJ municipal complex (1), June 2023.jpg|Bethlehem Township Municipal Complex
File:BTNJMunicipalSign.jpg|Sign indicating municipal buildings of Bethlehem Township, NJ
</gallery>

===Federal, state and county representation===
Bethlehem Township is located in the 7th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report], [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 23rd state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District], [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>[https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf ''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''], New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#23 Districts by Number for 2011-2020], [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 07}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 23}}

{{NJ Hunterdon County Freeholders}}

===Politics===
As of March 2011, there were a total of 2,814 registered voters in Bethlehem Township, of which 514 (18.3%) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 1,113 (39.6%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 1,186 (42.1%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|Unaffiliated]]. There was one voter registered to another party.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-hunterdon-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Hunterdon], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Republican [[Mitt Romney]] received 61.2% of the vote (1,323 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 37.0% (800 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (38 votes), among the 2,172 ballots cast by the township's 2,954 registered voters (11 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 73.5%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-hunterdon.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Hunterdon County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-hunterdon.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Hunterdon County|date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Republican [[John McCain]] received 58.9% of the vote here (1,380 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 38.2% (896 votes) and other candidates with 2.2% (51 votes), among the 2,343 ballots cast by the township's 2,927 registered voters, for a turnout of 80.0%.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-hunterdon.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Hunterdon County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] received 61.6% of the vote here (1,380 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat [[John Kerry]] with 37.1% (830 votes) and other candidates with 1.3% (36 votes), among the 2,239 ballots cast by the township's 2,692 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 83.2.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_hunterdon_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Hunterdon County], [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>

{{PresHead|place=Bethlehem Township|source=<ref>{{Cite web |title=NJ DOS - Division of Elections - Election Results Archive |url=https://nj.gov/state/elections/election-information-results.shtml |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=nj.gov}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|1,463|1,041|48|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|1,492|1,150|62|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|1,340|829|106|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|1,323|800|38|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|1,380|896|51|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|1,380|830|36|New Jersey}}
|}

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 73.8% of the vote (985 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 23.1% (309 votes), and other candidates with 3.1% (41 votes), among the 1,349 ballots cast by the township's 2,934 registered voters (14 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 46.0%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-hunterdon.pdf |title=Governor - Hunterdon County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-hunterdon.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Hunterdon County|date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014}}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009|2009 gubernatorial election]], Republican Chris Christie received 66.4% of the vote here (1,130 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 21.9% (373 votes), Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 8.9% (151 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (20 votes), among the 1,703 ballots cast by the township's 2,855 registered voters, yielding a 59.6% turnout.<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-hunterdon.pdf 2009 Governor: Hunterdon County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017230346/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-hunterdon.pdf |date=2012-10-17 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed November 14, 2012.</ref>