Editing Holmdel Township, New Jersey (section)

== Government ==

[[File:Holmdel Township Town Hall.jpg|thumb|left|Holmdel Town Hall at [[Crawford Corners, New Jersey|Crawfords Corner]]]]

=== Local government ===
Holmdel 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''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601184216/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf |date=June 1, 2023 }}, [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>Cerra, Michael F. [https://www.njlm.org/809/3982/Forms-of-Govt-Magazine-Article "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"], [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]], March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025.</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. 67.</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"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604040836/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=7 |date=June 4, 2023 }}, 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. The Township Committee exercises control over the conduct of municipal business by means of legislation through ordinances or resolutions, approval and adoption of the annual budget and the formulation of policy to be carried out by the staff.<ref name=Committee/>

{{As of|2025}}, members of the Holmdel Township Council are [[Mayor]] Brian Foster ([[Republican Party (United States)|R]], term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2025), Deputy Mayor Kim LaMountain (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2025), Rocco Impreveduto (R, 2027), Domenico "DJ" Luccarelli (R, 2026) and Joseph Romano (R, 2026).<ref name=Committee>[https://www.holmdeltownship.com/160/Township-Committee Township Committee], Holmdel Township. Accessed January 28, 2025. "Holmdel operates under the township form of municipal government. The Township Committee, which is the governing body, consists of 5 members elected at large for 3-year, overlapping terms. At the annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its own to serve as Mayor."</ref><ref>[https://www.holmdeltownship.com/DocumentCenter/View/5486/Holmdel-Township-Adopted-2024-Budget 2024 Municipal Data Sheet], Holmdel Township. Accessed January 28, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2024>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/122857/web.345435/#/summary November 5, 2024 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated December 16, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2023>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/119047/web.317647/#/summary November 8, 2023 General Election Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], updated January 18, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2024.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/116246/web.307039/#/summary General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated December 27, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

In November 2021, voters approved the establishment of a [[Charter Study Commission]] that would review the township's options for changing its form of government and would make recommendations to be considered by the public.<ref name=Monmouth2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/111499/web.278093/#/summary November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220818021042/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/111499/web.278093/#/summary |date=August 18, 2022 }}, [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]], December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref>Rosman, Mark. [https://centraljersey.com/2021/11/03/holmdel-residents-will-vote-on-proposal-to-create-charter-study-commission-2/ "Holmdel residents appear to have approved proposal to create charter study commission"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231017063100/https://centraljersey.com/2021/11/03/holmdel-residents-will-vote-on-proposal-to-create-charter-study-commission-2/ |date=October 17, 2023 }}, ''Independent News'', November 3, 2021. Accessed April 25, 2022. "Residents of Holmdel appear to have approved a public question which asked if they wanted to create a charter study commission whose members would examine Holmdel’s current form of government and possibly recommend changes in the township’s form of government."</ref> In April 2022, the commission recommended that the township adopt the Council-Manager form of government available under the [[Faulkner Act]], in which the main change from the current government would be that day-to-day operation of the township would be in the hands of a professional administrator.<ref>Wall, Jeanne. [https://www.tapinto.net/towns/holmdel-and-colts-neck/sections/government/articles/holmdel-charter-study-commission-ends-phase-three-in-one-meeting-new-government-proposed "Holmdel Charter Study Commission Ends 'Phase Three' in One Meeting, New Government Proposed; Control Shift from Elected Officials to Hired Manager"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220416052414/https://www.tapinto.net/towns/holmdel-and-colts-neck/sections/government/articles/holmdel-charter-study-commission-ends-phase-three-in-one-meeting-new-government-proposed |date=April 16, 2022 }}, TAP into Holmdel and Colts Neck, April 15, 2022. Accessed April 25, 2022. "Unanimously, The Holmdel Charter Study Commission recommends to voters to eliminate the traditional Holmdel Township Committee form of government in favor of Council-Manager.... A major change is who controls the town. It won't be the governing body on a day-to-day basis. By law, it would be a new Municipal Manager."</ref> Led by opposition from Monmouth County Republicans, voters rejected the proposed changes in July 2022 by a 55–45% margin.<ref>[[David Wildstein|Wildstein, David]]. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/holmdel-votes-down-charter-change-referendum/ "Holmdel votes down charter change referendum"], ''[[New Jersey Globe]]'', July 26, 2022. Accessed January 28, 2025. "Voters in Holmdel voted down a proposal to switch to non-partisan municipal elections with the direct election of a mayor and a change to a Council-Manager form of government. With all votes now in, 55.5% voted no– with a remarkable 31% turnout considering a July election.... That represents a big win for the Monmouth County Republican organization, which strongly opposed the charter change"</ref>

In the November 2019 general election, a recount put two independent candidates in office, with Prakash Santhana winning the second of the two seats by a margin of two votes over the Republican candidate.<ref name=Monmouth2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/98884/web/#/summary General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610022621/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Monmouth/98884/web/#/summary |date=June 10, 2020 }}, [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated December 16, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref><ref>[[David Wildstein|Wildstein, David]]. [https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/after-recount-independent-wins-holmdel-seat-by-2-votes/ "After recount, independent wins Holmdel seat by 2 votes GOP mayor loses as independents take two seats on governing body"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220425190951/https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/after-recount-independent-wins-holmdel-seat-by-2-votes/ |date=April 25, 2022 }}, New Jersey Globe, December 5, 2019. Accessed April 25, 2022. "A recount in the race for Holmdel Township Committee has flipped two seats from Republican to the independent candidates – one of them by just two votes. Prakash Santhana defeated Republican Chiung-Ying Cheng Liu, 2,087 to 2,085."</ref>

Deputy Mayor [[Serena DiMaso]] left office in January 2012 to fill the vacant seat of [[Robert D. Clifton]] on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.<ref>Davis, Mike. [http://atl.gmnews.com/news/2012-01-19/Front_Page/Holmdels_DiMaso_wins_freeholder_seat.html "Holmdel's DiMaso wins freeholder seat Deputy mayor sworn in after two rounds of voting by county GOP"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018000413/http://atl.gmnews.com/news/2012-01-19/Front_Page/Holmdels_DiMaso_wins_freeholder_seat.html |date=October 18, 2013 }}, ''Atlanticville'', January 19, 2012. Accessed February 23, 2012. "After 10 years on the Holmdel Township Committee, Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso has segued to a seat on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders. At a special Jan. 14 election at Colts Neck High School, the Monmouth County Republican Committee elected DiMaso to fill the term of Assemblyman Robert Clifton (R-12th District), who resigned from the board before being sworn into his new role earlier this month."</ref> Joseph Ponisi was selected to fill Dimaso's vacant seat and took office in January 2012, then was elected to the remainder of her term in the November 2012 general election.<ref name=Monmouh2012>[http://assets01.aws.connect.clarityelections.com/Assets/Connect/RootPublish/monmouth-nj.connect.clarityelections.com/Election%20Results/2012/_2012%20GENERAL%20MUNICIPAL%20RESULTS%20Final%20.pdf#page=20 General Election November 6, 2012 Official Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817204525/http://assets01.aws.connect.clarityelections.com/Assets/Connect/RootPublish/monmouth-nj.connect.clarityelections.com/Election%20Results/2012/_2012%20GENERAL%20MUNICIPAL%20RESULTS%20Final%20.pdf#page=20 |date=August 17, 2016 }}, [[Monmouth County, New Jersey]]. Accessed July 14, 2016.</ref><ref>Johnson, Christina. [http://holmdel-hazlet.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/joe-ponisi-takes-vacant-seat-on-township-governing-body "Joe Ponisi Takes Vacant Seat on Township Committee; Ponisi joins the Township Committee with a particularly relevant background turning municipal budgets inside out to look for strengths and weaknesses."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131018010519/http://holmdel-hazlet.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/joe-ponisi-takes-vacant-seat-on-township-governing-body |date=October 18, 2013 }}, Holmdel-HazletPatch, February 3, 2012. Accessed October 17, 2013. "Joe Ponisi, a resident with a 25-year career analyzing the finances of municipalities, made his debut Thursday as the newest member of Holmdel's 5-member Township Committee. Ponisi fills the seat vacated by former Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso, who in turn recently won a seat vacated by Robert Clifton on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, who was elected to the state Assembly."</ref>

=== Federal, state, and county representation ===
[[Image:Holmdel Public Library at Bell Works.jpg|thumb|right|The Holmdel Public Library in 2021 – newly located within Bell Works, the repurposed former Bell Labs Holmdel Complex]]
Holmdel Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District<ref name=PCR2022>[https://www.njredistrictingcommission.org/documents/2021/Data2021/Plan%20Components.pdf 2022 Redistricting Plan] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028193337/https://www.njredistrictingcommission.org/documents/2021/Data2021/Plan%20Components.pdf |date=October 28, 2022 }}, [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 8, 2022.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 13th 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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211120165412/https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf |date=November 20, 2021 }}, [[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''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105221009/https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf |date=November 5, 2019 }}, New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#13 Districts by Number for 2011-2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714024328/https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#13 |date=July 14, 2019 }}, [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 6, 2013.</ref>

Prior to the 2010 Census, Holmdel Township had been part of the {{ushr|NJ|12|12th Congressional District}}, a change made by the [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]] that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.<ref name=LWV2011>[http://www.lwvnj.org/images/cg_2011.pdf#page=59 ''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604153059/http://www.lwvnj.org/images/cg_2011.pdf#page=59 |date=2013-06-04 }}, p. 59, New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed May 22, 2015.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 03}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 13}}

{{NJ Monmouth County Commissioners}}

===Politics===
{{PresHead|place=Holmdel|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=2023-09-24 |website=nj.gov |archive-date=October 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231001144940/https://nj.gov/state/elections/election-information-results.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref>}}
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{{PresRow|2024|Republican|5,592|4,266|265|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|5,654|5,092|142|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|4,919|3,577|275|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2012|Republican|5,077|3,063|75|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2008|Republican|5,403|3,616|82|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|5,522|3,308|56|New Jersey}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|4,239|2,897|262|New Jersey}}{{PresRow|1996|Republican|3,310|1,977|420|New Jersey}}{{PresRow|1992|Republican|3,314|1,484|824|New Jersey}}
|}
As of March 2011, there were a total of 12,021 registered voters in Holmdel Township, of which 1,965 (16.3%) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 4,110 (34.2%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 5,946 (49.5%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|Unaffiliated]]. There were no voters registered to other parties.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-monmouth-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Monmouth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603231404/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-monmouth-co-summary-report.pdf |date=June 3, 2013 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref>

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Republican [[Mitt Romney]] received 61.8% of the vote (5,077 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barack Obama]] with 37.3% (3,063 votes), and other candidates with 0.9% (75 votes), among the 8,261 ballots cast by the township's 12,425 registered voters (46 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 66.5%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-monmouth.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Monmouth County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-date=December 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225054339/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-monmouth.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-monmouth.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Monmouth County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-date=December 25, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141225063058/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-monmouth.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2008|2008 presidential election]], Republican [[John McCain]] received 58.6% of the vote (5,403 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 39.2% (3,616 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (82 votes), among the 9,225 ballots cast by the township's 12,679 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.8%.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-monmouth.pdf 2008 Presidential General Election Results: Monmouth County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604001750/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2008-gen-elect-presidential-results-monmouth.pdf |date=June 4, 2013 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Republican [[George W. Bush]] received 61.9% of the vote (5,522 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat [[John Kerry]] with 37.1% (3,308 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (56 votes), among the 8,915 ballots cast by the township's 11,892 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 75.0.<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_monmouth_co_2004.pdf 2004 Presidential Election: Monmouth County] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130604000604/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2004-presidential_monmouth_co_2004.pdf |date=June 4, 2013 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref>

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Republican [[Chris Christie]] received 77.3% of the vote (3,587 cast), ahead of Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] with 21.4% (993 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (58 votes), among the 4,712 ballots cast by the township's 12,312 registered voters (74 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 38.3%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-monmouth.pdf |title=Governor - Monmouth County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-date=August 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815094044/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-monmouth.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-monmouth.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Monmouth County |date=January 29, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924133313/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-monmouth.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2009|2009 gubernatorial election]], Republican Chris Christie received 67.8% of the vote (4,182 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat [[Jon Corzine]] with 25.8% (1,590 votes), Independent [[Chris Daggett]] with 5.2% (318 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (46 votes), among the 6,170 ballots cast by the township's 12,315 registered voters, yielding a 50.1% turnout.<ref>[http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-monmouth.pdf 2009 Governor: Monmouth County] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017230351/http://www.njelections.org/election-results/2009-governor_results-monmouth.pdf |date=2012-10-17 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 4, 2012.</ref>