‘No Kings’

Donald Trump was the top vote-getter in Middlesex Borough during the last three presidential elections, indicating that the majority of local voters were in tune with his views. Later this month, those with opposing perspectives will give a public rebuttal in the form of a “No Kings” protest.

The respective municipal Democratic organizations of Middlesex Borough and Dunellen are jointly sponsoring the community event, which will be held at the Ronald S. Dobies municipal building on Mountain Avenue.

The 90-minute protest will start at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 28. Attendees are encouraged to bring signs and a non-perishable food item that will be donated to REPLENISH, Middlesex’s County’s distribution program that combats food insecurity. Voter registration will be offered.

Several Democratic primary candidates for the New Jersey 12th Congressional District seat are expected to attend, according to Monica Townsend, Middlesex Borough Democratic chairwoman. Confirmed speakers so far include congressional candidates Sue Altman and Squire Servance, and Vincent Rouse, a 2026 Democratic candidate for Middlesex Borough Council.

The No Kings protest movement kicked off in June 2025, as a series of political demonstrations. Protestors opposed what the organizers described as the authoritarian policies of President Trump and alleged corruption in his administration. Additional protests took place again in October at sites that included nearby Piscataway and Bridgewater.

National organizers estimate that more than 5 million people participated in over 2,100 nationwide “No Kings” rallies in June 2025. There was no collective statewide total released for Garden State protests, but some drew sizable crowds. 

In Princeton, organizers and police differed on a specific number, but agreed that several thousand people attended last October’s protest. That day’s No Kings event in Piscataway drew an estimated 700 people. Large turnouts occurred at protests in Morristown, where an estimated 8,000 people attended, and in Trenton where the crowd was sized at 3,000.

National issues are fueling the Middlesex protest, Townsend said.

“The event was organized by a core group of our members concerned with the current state of our democracy, the treatment of individuals by ICE (U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement), and the dismantling of federal funding and programs for vulnerable populations – resources that are vital to our residents here in Middlesex,” Townsend told Inside – Middlesex.

“We believe it is important for Middlesex to recognize how these national issues impact our local community,” she added. “We are assembling peacefully to exercise our First Amendment rights, stand in solidarity with other communities, and demonstrate that our party will speak out against these conditions. This is about doing what is right for humanity. Middlesex is not insulated from these issues, and we believe common dignity must remain a priority nationally and in our borough.”

The Middlesex Borough Democratic Organization’s website urges protestors to remain peaceful.

“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action,” the website reads. “We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”

While its main purpose is to show dissent against the actions of a Republican president, the local No Kings protest suggests the Middlesex Democratic Organization is gearing up for the 2026 election. Rouse will run for council for the second consecutive year. In 2025, as a first-time candidate, he came less than 60 votes from winning a seat on the municipal governing body.

It was the closest that a Middlesex Democratic candidate has come to winning an election in a half-dozen years. As recently as 2023, there were no Democratic candidates on the ballot when two council seats and the mayoralty were decided by voters.

Rouse campaigned without a running mate in 2025. As of March 13, he was again the only Democratic candidate, according to Townsend. The deadline to file candidate petitions for the primary is March 23. In the November general election, voters will decide who fills two, three-year council seats. The Republican candidates in 2026 are Council President Michael Conahan and Councilman Kevin Dotey.

Reminder

Subscribe to Inside – Middlesex. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. It is absolutely free.