Chatham Twp. Mayor Won't Seek Re-Election, Endorses Fellow Dem.

CHATHAM TOWNSHIP, NJ — Chatham Township Mayor Tracy Ness won't seek re-election. Ness will instead endorse Planning Board member and fellow Democrat Kathy Abbott for her position on Township Committee.

Chatham Township residents elect candidates to the Township Committee. Then members of the committee elect a mayor for a one-year term.

Ness opted against running for a second term because of growing personal and professional commitments, according to an announcement from the Chatham Township Democrats.

The mayor touted Abbott's community involvement, which also includes serving on the Township Committee from 2012-14.

"As a previous Committee Member and current Planning Board Member, Kathy has the institutional knowledge that is much needed to keep us moving forward," Ness said in a statement. "You may know Kathy as a founder of Safe Routes to Schools, a girl scout troop leader, on the Advisory Council for the Great Swamp Watershed Association or an active member in the League of Women Voters."

Ness's seat is the only township committee position up for election this year. The election will determine which party holds the majority in Chatham Township, as two Democrats and two Republicans also occupy the governing body.

Monday was the deadline for candidates to file for New Jersey primary elections. Patch will post the candidate list when it becomes available, plus more information on the candidates in the run-up to the June 8 primary.

After leaving the Township Committee in 2014, Abbott served on the board for the League of Women Voters of NJ — a nonpartisan organization working toward "a democracy where every person has the desire, the right, the knowledge and the confidence to participate," according to its website.

Then she re-entered township government as a Planning Board member in 2020. Abbott serves as an alternate on the board.

"I believe the Township Committee needs to continue all of its recently revitalized efforts to plan for the future," Abbott said. "We should work on a robust land use plan, a capital plan, a fiscally responsible budget that leverages shared services and grants, a proactive response to state-mandated affordable housing, and systems for active feedback from the community, including truly listening to its citizen advisory committees and boards."

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