Red

As recently as a decade ago, Middlesex had a Democratic mayor and six Borough Council members from that same party. The town’s voter rolls still show a majority registered as Democrats. But the times – and the local electorate’s views on governing – have changed.

Donald Trump again carried Middlesex Borough in the 2024 general election, the third consecutive presidential cycle that he’s done so. No Democrats ran for council seats for the second straight year. It seems like ancient history that a past Democratic mayor once served for 26 straight years.

Certified vote totals will be released by the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office later this month. Unofficial Middlesex totals show GOP candidate Trump with 3,594 votes or 53.7% of those cast. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris received 2,943 votes or just under 44%. Third party candidates combined for 152 votes or about 2.2%. Those totals do not include write-ins. All told, roughly 65% of local registered voters cast votes for president in 2024.

Trump’s third straight Middlesex Borough victory came despite the local electorate having more Democratic voters than Republican. The majority, however, are unaffiliated.

Figures released by the county clerk’s office in July showed Middlesex Borough with 10,302 voters. Within that total, 3,380 were registered as Democrats, 2,718 as Republicans, and 4,204 unaffiliated.

While Trump’s third straight local victory, in itself, indicates Republican leanings, down ballot races suggest Middlesex’s shade of red is deeper than some might suspect.

Republican candidates for U.S. Senate, the House of Representatives, and Middlesex County Board of Commissioners all outpolled their Democratic opponents in the borough. Statewide, the GOP contingent didn’t fare as well, losing all of the higher level races.

Democrat Andy Kim won a U.S. Senate seat on Nov. 5, defeating Republican Curtis Bashaw. In Middlesex, Bashaw was the vote leader with 3,230 or 51.7%. KIm received 2,846 or 45.6% locally. Third party candidates received the remaining 172 votes.

In the 12th District congressional race, Democratic incumbent Bonnie Watson-Coleman won re-election. But her Republican opponent Darius Mayfield defeated her in Middlesex Borough.

Locally, Mayfield received 3,281 votes or 52.6% in the congressional contest. Watson-Coleman got 2,802 votes of 44.9%. Third party candidates collectively received 159 votes or 2.5%.

Incumbent Democratic Middlesex County Commissioners Ron Rios and Shanti Narra breezed to victory countywide by 40,000 votes. They were outpolled in the borough, however, by their Republican challengers.

GOP candidate John McConville was the leader locally with 3,364 vvotes, with running mate Peter Pisar second with 3,186. Rios was third in the borough among commissioner candidates with 2,785. Narra trailed with 2,683 votes.

Even the school board contest for three-year seats – which is technically non-partisan – included a Republican victory of sorts.

Thomas Thornton received the most votes among four on-ballot candidates vying for three, three-year board terms. An outspoken advocate of greater accountability by school officials, Thornton received 2,391 votes, making him the top vote-getter over three incumbents that were on the ballot.

Along with being a school board candidate, Thornton is a voting district rep in the Borough of Middlesex Republican Organization.

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