SCOTCH PLAINS — Mayor Joshua Losardo will seek a second term in November, facing Republican newcomer Chris Kresge, while Councilwoman Ellen Zimmerman will face off against Republican Brian Johdos in her race for a second term on the township council, which has been controlled by the Democrats since the 2018 election.
Mr. Losardo — who was first elected to the governing body in 2018 before winning the mayoral race in 2020, when he defeated incumbent Alexander Smith — is looking to become the first incumbent mayor since 2004 to win a second term.
The mayor told Union County HAWK he is running for re-election because, “it’s a job that I love and I feel tremendous satisfaction about what we’re doing.” He said he was “proud of our record,” adding that in a second term, “we want to continue our progress. The town is changing and growing in a positive way.”
When asked what he sees as his biggest accomplishment so far, the mayor replied, “our commitment to parks and recreation,” saying that the upgrades over the past few years have been “game changers” for the community. He added that this year’s capital budget includes funding for improvements to Kramer Manor, Brookside and Haven Parks.
Part of his agenda for a second term includes further improving communications with residents. The mayor said he is sometimes surprised by residents’ questions that he thought had already been answered at meetings, on social media and via weekly email messages.
“I have to figure out a better way” to get information out in a clear way, he told HAWK.
Mayor Losardo admitted that he was surprised upon joining the coun- cil five years ago by “how much the town relies on residents volunteering their time,” especially on panels such as the planning and zoning boards, where decisions are made that “will impact Scotch Plains for years to come.”
“I am grateful to each volunteer,” he said, but noted he wants to “grow the bench and persuade residents who haven’t volunteered before to consider doing so,” to ensure that different perspectives are heard on issues that affect the township.
Mr. Kresge, the Republican candidate, is a Scotch Plains native who works in IT consulting and cyber security. He is married with two young sons active in youth sports, and Mr. Kresge said he has been “very active” as a coach in youth leagues. Speaking to HAWK this week, he jokingly blamed his wife for pushing him into the race after listening to him being “an armchair quarterback yelling at the TV.”
“One thing led to another,” he said, and he found himself the party’s choice for mayor. He believes his professional life “will help me greatly” in addressing residents’ needs, namely, “What does the client need? What are the issues? How do you solve them?”
Proclaiming himself “super excited” for the election, he said he has “an affinity for the town” and is “interested in hearing what people have to say.” Towards that end, he said he wants to start doing house visits in each of the 23 voting districts to hear what is on residents’ minds. Another motivation for running, he added, is wanting to “be a bigger part of the community than I already am.”
Mrs. Zimmerman, who has served as deputy mayor last year and this year, told HAWK she is, “so fortunate to have worked alongside an amazing team these past four years,” adding that she is “especially proud of leading the reorganization of our recreational programs for seniors.” Given the political divisiveness at the national level, she said she wants to “set the example for my children that politics and serving one’s community is an overwhelmingly positive and rewarding experience, and that local decisions matter.”
Mr. Johdos ran unsuccessfully for the council in 2022 and for county commissioner last November. He told HAWK he is running so that he can “give a voice back to the town that’s not currently being heard.” He pointed to what he believes is a lack of transparency on the council, “as was seen at Brookside Park” last year when a petition drive resulted in a referendum last November that overturned the council’s earlier approval of a bond ordinance to finance the installation of artificial turf at the park’s baseball field.
