Morris Township Democrats declare victory in committee race

Victory declarations typically come on Election Night, or soon thereafter. But there was nothing typical about the vote-by-mail coronavirus election of Nov. 3, 2020.  As provisional ballots continue to be counted, victory declarations keep trickling in.

Below is a statement on behalf of Morris Township Mayor Cathy Wilson and her Democratic running mate, Bud Ravitz, declaring their wins over Republican challengers Sandra Garcia and Joseph Calvanelli.

The victory preserves Democratic control of the governing body, control established in 2018 after many years of GOP dominance.

For Ravitz, it’s a testament to persistence: He lost a committee bid last year by eight votes, after a round of recounts that stretched into early 2020. The terms are for three years. We’ll add concession messages as we receive them.

From the Morris Township Democratic organization:

Morris Township Democrats Declare Victory

Mayor Cathy Wilson and Bud Ravitz, the Democratic candidates for Morris Township Committee, have declared victory in their race against Republicans Sandra Garcia and Joseph Calvanelli.

Vote totals as of Saturday evening, Nov. 14 (which include all ballots except the 411 provisional ballots cast in Morris Township on Election Day) are as follows:

Wilson 8,111

Ravitz 7,734

Garcia 6,357

Calvanelli 6,281

“Since the remaining provisional ballots are not enough to overtake our lead, the time has come for us to declare victory,” said Wilson, who was first elected to the Committee in 2017 and is the Township’s first Democratic woman mayor.

“I am humbled and elated by these results. They indicate strong support for everything we’ve worked so hard to accomplish over the last few years. We’ve kept taxes in check (one year of decrease, two years flat). We’ve made communication more transparent, interactive and inviting. We’ve made great strides on the environment, transportation, and how we work with land use issues. I am honored to see such decisive support for our efforts and grateful for the opportunity to continue this work for another three-year term.

“Bud will be a great partner in furthering our progress. He has many talents to offer and has a special interest in working on environmental issues. I welcome him to our governing team. I also want to extend HUGE THANKS to everyone who helped our campaign under very difficult circumstances this year.”

“We would not have been able to win this race without the dedication of an entire team of people,” said Ravitz, who just missed being elected to the Committee last fall when he lost to longtime Committee member and a former mayor, Republican Peter Mancuso, by just eight votes.

“Last year I knocked on a lot of doors all over town, but we had to shift gears this year due to COVID and run a virtual race. The Morris Township Democratic Committee stepped up, and I so appreciate everyone’s help and support.

“There were two guiding principles upon which I ran,” continued Ravitz. “The first is that we have more in common than can ever divide us. And I intend to lead by example in this regard. The other is that if we want better government, we must be better citizens. We had a phenomenal turnout in the election this year with so many voters engaged in the democratic process, and I hope that continues year after year. Governments create reform but people create change.”

With the Wilson/Ravitz win, the Democrats will continue to hold a 4-1 majority on the governing body after decades of Republican control that ended in 2018.

“We have all worked hard to support the kinds of changes many residents want, and we are very gratified that the voters chose Cathy and Bud as stewards of the community going forward,” said George Quillan, Morris Township Democratic Committee chair. “They will continue to build on the successes of the last two years. Morris Township is in good hands.”