Middlesex is a complicated place. If you don’t believe that, examine its politics over the past few years.
Going into this past Tuesday’s general election, Republicans had won all Borough Council seats and mayoral contests dating back to 2017. In a few of them, they didn’t even have Democratic opposition. Not all that long ago, trips around town would encounter Donald Trump flags or banners, proudly hung by Republicans, even outside of campaign season. At least in Middlesex, Trump really did win the 2020 presidential election. He was the top vote-getter in the borough’s presidential balloting the past three cycles. In a blue state, in a blue county, the borough was solidly red.
Make that “was” as in past tense.
In 2027, there will still be a Republican mayor and four of six council members from the GOP. But they all won elections a year or two ago. The Trump flags and banners have become conspicuously absent. Another hint of the president’s declining popularity occurred last November. Democrat Mikie Sherrill defeated Republican Jack Ciattarelli in Middlesex’s gubernatorial balloting. Ciattarelli had been endorsed by Trump, but it turned out not to matter here.
There was another 2025 portent of the borough’s changing political winds. Democratic candidate Vincent Rouse came within 58 votes of winning a council seat. The 2026 general election saw Rouse complete the electoral journey he began last year. He was the top vote-getter among four council candidates. It was not a landslide by any means, but Rouse and fellow Democrat Vinnie Lella both won three-year council seats with comfortable margins over the GOP incumbents.
In Middlesex politics, it’s seldom as simple as saying one specific thing led to another. Outsiders might speculate that Republican councilmen Michael Conahan and Kevin Dotey did something horrendous to annoy the voters. Not the case. As with most political changes, it seems there was a mix of subtle things occurring.
The Republican duo sent out mailers with feel-good messages. The GOP also touted accomplishments. There were social media ads. In one, the Republicans referred to Middlesex as a “Hallmark Town.” It’s hardly that. It’s a suburban municipality that faces its own set of challenges, like all other towns. What Hallmark Town suffers from quality of life disturbances such as noise and industrial odors? What other ideal place endures flooding and loses revenue due to a floodwall construction? Maybe voters wanted to hear solutions along with the platitudes.
Conahan and Dotey inundated the town with political signs. Based on those placards, some streets gave the impression that the GOP duo was running unopposed. The number of lawn signs displayed, however, does not always correlate to victory.
Not that Rouse offered any detailed remedies for what ails Middlesex. His mailer offered generalities such as a desire to reach out to state and Middlesex County government to bring back more resources to the borough. Specifically, what are those resources? One social media post said: “Vincent shows up and speaks out at council and school board meetings because he cares about Middlesex.” Speaks out? Not so much lately, at least not at council meetings.
That brings us to the other Democratic council winner, Vinnie Lella. Rouse and Lella were not 2026 running mates even though they both carried a “D” next to their names on the ballot. After submitting his candidacy petition last spring, Lella met with other Middlesex Democrats. His past support for Trump proved to be a sticking point. It was never clear whether Lella was actively campaigning this fall or not. Yet, in a topsy-turvy year of political change, driven by anti-Trump sentiment nationally, Lella finished second in a four-way field. A pro-Trump Democrat won in an era of Trump opposition. It could only happen in Middlesex.
And what about the Trump factor? In no way could it have been a positive for Conahan and Dotey to be affiliated with the same political party as the increasingly unpopular president. Our parents often said we’d be judged by who we hung out with. If you’ve never come out and vocally disavowed Trump, the inference could be made that you concur with his more controversial policies if you’re also a Republican.
When Middlesex Democrats staged a No Kings Rally last March, some local Republicans were critical. They claimed the protest was divisive for dragging Trump into local politics. That was a somewhat clumsy attempt to really say, “Please don’t penalize us for what our national GOP leaders do.” Right now, local issues such as taxes and quality of life would seem to carry more weight in a municipal election. But the extra amounts being paid at the gas pump and grocery store aren’t going to be completely ignored by voters.
In defeating Conahan and Dotey, the Democrats not only beat two incumbents, they took down the municipal chairman and vice chairman of the Borough of Middlesex Republican Organization. With a mayoral election coming up next year, Middlesex is a two-party town again. Will it remain that way, or was 2026 a one-year Democratic comeback fueled, in part, by a divisive president? Time will tell.
This year’s voting in the council race eclipsed the number of votes cast in each of the past two elections, even more than 2024 which was a presidential election year. Here’s Middlesex’s Borough Council election results from the past three years.
2026 – Rouse (D) – 2,366; Lella (D) – 2,299; Conahan (R) – 2,120; Dotey (R) – 2,052. Total votes cast – 8,858.
2025 – Clock (R) – 2,751; Quinn (R) – 2,692; Rouse (D) – 2,635. Total votes cast – 8,151.
2024 – Griggs (R) – 4,267; DeScenza (R) – 4,256. No Democrats on the ballot. Total votes cast – 8,650.
Copyright 2026 Dave Polakiewicz. All Rights Reserved)
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