Nick Cuozzo, a graduate of the Master of Public Policy program in 2014, has secured the Republican nomination for Somerset County Commissioner. He will challenge the current Democratic incumbent, Melonie Marano, who is serving her second term.
Cuozzo expressed his enthusiasm following his primary victory. "I am looking forward to building on the momentum and great enthusiasm our campaign generated this past year," he stated. "I will continue to make the case for a more affordable Somerset County, to fight overdevelopment that harms our communities and our environment, and to prioritize public safety and security for all residents."
Marano's political journey began in 2007 when she ran countywide against Republican Pat Walsh for an open seat on the then all-Republican Somerset County freeholder board. The seat was vacated by Denise Coyle who pursued a State Assembly position. At that time, Walsh was serving as mayor of Green Brook while Marano held a position as township committeewoman.
In what turned out to be a tight contest, Walsh narrowly defeated Marano by 1,867 votes with a margin of 51.5% to 48.5%. The Democrats gained control of Green Brook in 2008 after nearly half a century; Marano became mayor in 2009 but lost her re-election bid later that year.
The political landscape shifted further when Democrats unseated two Republican freeholders in 2018. In 2019, Marano faced off against Walsh once again—by then a four-term incumbent—and emerged victorious by just 341 votes with results showing 50.2% to 49.8%. This victory marked the first Democratic majority since their brief control in 1964.
By flipping the last two county commissioner seats in 2020 and winning other key positions such as county clerk in 2017, sheriff in 2018, and surrogate in 2019, Democrats have solidified their presence within Somerset County politics.
Back when Marano initially ran for office in 2007, Republicans had an advantage with over fourteen thousand more registered voters than Democrats. However, by 2019 this trend reversed significantly with Democrats leading by nearly eighteen thousand registered voters—a gap which has now widened further to twenty-six thousand five hundred twelve.
