No Change for Lakewood: Singer Beats Herskowitz in Primary Race

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bob-singer1First report, 9:24 p.m.: Those hoping for change in Lakewood politics will have to put their “high hopes” on hold as Lakewood’s incumbent Township Committeeman, 62-year-old State Senator Robert (Bob) Singer, has beaten 44-year-old Hershel (Harold) Herskowitz Herskowitz, the owner of Toys for Thought, a Lakewood toy store, who looked for grassroots support to unseat a Lakewood political fixture. Voters, in a close election, chose to keep Singer on board.

The election saw a strong turnout, with about 6,000 votes being cast.

The final results, with 38 of 38 stations (100%) counted, are:

Robert W. Singer – 3,228 votes (54.40%)
Hershel Herskowitz – 2,679 votes (45.15%)

Singer is serving his twenty-first year in the New Jersey State Legislature. He served three terms in the General Assembly, where he acted as Majority Whip from 1992 to 1993. In the State Senate, Singer represents the 30th District, which includes parts of Ocean, Monmouth, Burlington and Mercer counties.

Singer has been a member of the Lakewood Township Committee for twenty-nine years and has been mayor four times.

Senator Singer is married and has four children.

The veteran legislator – a Lakewood resident for over 30 years – received the endorsement of Lakewood’s Vaad and received the majority of votes in Lakewood’s senior communties.

Herskowitz is currently sitting shivah following the passing of his mother yesterday.

Singer will face off against Democrat Marta Harrison, a former Lakewood mayor who was unopposed in the primary.

Whether it’s hanging fake immigration enforcement signs or demanding resignations at public meetings, Herskowitz made his points heard during his campaign. Herskowitz, as part of the Lakewood Downtown Merchants Commission, has pushed for a rezoning to limit the type of retailers, a bicycle ordinance, parking time-limits in municipal lots and a farmers market.

Herskowitz, during his campaign, also said that Singer works for favors and is the source of corruption and irresponsible spending in Lakewood.

Another criticism by Herskowitz of Singer is the two hats that he has worn as committeeman and state legislator for more than two decades. Future “double-dipping” among public officeholders is now illegal, though lawmakers such as Singer are exempt through a grandfather clause. Singer, however, sees the dual roles as an asset. Asked if it is a conflict of interest, he said: “Other than the fact I’m bullish on Lakewood? No.”

Herskowitz highlighted during the campaign that the township is getting shortchanged by the Lakewood BlueClaws. The minor league baseball club now pays an equivalent of only $25,000 a year. “We need to incorporate the stadium . . . into something that brings jobs and makes money,” Herskowitz said. “It’s been a money loser for us for many years.”

Singer subsequently joined Herskowitz’s call, stated that changes should be made to include “a lot more” rent to the township will be made to the lease in a matter of months.

In the end, in what was a hotly contested race, the majority handed the election to Singer.

We wish the Senator continued success in his role as public servant, doing all he can to help his constituents and fulfilling the promises he made to voters during his campaign.

{Matzav.com Newscenter}


52 COMMENTS

  1. lakewood residents lost out big. same old same old
    ridiculous taxes
    crazy spending
    why would anyone vote for the same old?

  2. The seniors ruined it for everyone. 2500 people voted for Hershel!!!! It was the seniors, who had nothing better to do than vote for Bob because they were scared to vote for a man with a beard. Plus, Bill Hobday had them all vote for Bob. What a shandeh.

  3. Voters get what they deserve. I just feel bad for the well meaning people who tried to change things and lost

  4. We wish the Vaad continued success in their future endorsements.

    Don’t forget this is only the primary, the real election will be here come November.

  5. I have a lot to say but cannot say it here publically. Please meet me tomorrow outside toys for thought so we can chew this over. I am serious.
    we need a true grass rooots effort to stop overspending

  6. Tomorrow we get the results from each individual district. Let’s see what happaned in the frum districts. If it shows that HH won in them.

  7. Actually Harold was very strongly in support of the many issues that affect the seniors, for example he was against privatizing the EMS- something the seniors care about. Also he was willing to discuss busing for private schools something that Bob would not even bring up…Im sure most of the seniors voted for Harold there’s just much more frumer yidden in Lakewood.
    Anyway Hamokom yenachem eschem…

  8. Figure that ALL the seniors made good on their promise to vote for Singer. Nisht Unzura did so as well. That probably adds up to at least 2000 votes – out of the three thousand, that did vote for Singer.

    Plus the fact that Hershel, sitting shiva, has not been on the campaign trail.

    That does not add up well for the Singer camp at all. Effectively, they can no longer claim to deliver many thousands of votes for their prospective candidate.

    In that respect, Hershel has won – big time.

  9. 2500 p[eople voted for Haershel!!! 2500!!! that’s major. in the election it will be more because dems could vote for him.

  10. A few things need to happen now. First of all, our reps to sit down and do some soul searching . They really need to listen to the little guy. Yes lots of money goes to benefit our community, But what good is that if I’m foreclosing on my home . my mortgage is 1700.00 with 900 in taxes . imagine if my taxes went down . We in Lakewood can barely breathe. With all the building that’s going on here, the low enrolment in the public schools there’s no reason why our taxes should be higher (triple) brooklyn . It makes me cry.
    POWER to the People. Vote Hershel as an Independant . You need to reach out to the Seniors .

  11. Lakewood Committee 2009
    Votes Processed – Polling Place/Percent 38/38 100.00%
    Vote Count Percent
    REP – Menashe P. Miller 12,007 33.62%
    REP – Hannah Havens 3,621 10.14%
    DEM – Meir Lichtenstein 10,947 30.65%
    DEM – Miriam Medina 2,801 7.84%
    IND – Lynn M. Celli 2,998 8.39%
    IND – Charles Cunliffe 3,284 9.20%
    Write-In 56 0.16%
    Total 35,714 100.00%

  12. The results of this election will reverberate for years.

    Even Singer supporters will now be watching their tax bills as their taxes go up and up and up.

  13. To # 20: You are %100 right! Matzav was never fair & balanced! The almighty dollar always wins out with them! Their just a bunch of little kids hanging out in the 5 towns living off of Daddy’s money.

  14. Senator Singer! You were once one of are members! It is time to “come back.”

    Looking forward;
    A fellow congregant

  15. Bill Hobday is a good man. I hope he lives to finuv un achtzig yor and
    he should then be a meilitz yosher for the Strand theatre.

  16. now the people of Lakewood in the U.S.A. are being tested by Hashem to see if each person will accept-the fact that singer won- with bitachon & emuna (faith & trust)that this too is for the good.

  17. hershel go independent u have the backing of the whole town the only reason u didn’t make it now because no one believed u have a chance but now ul win and big

  18. Some people couldn’t vote for H.H. because they were registered as democrats, even though they would have liked to vote for H.H. they couldn’t.Singer isn’t in yet, it was just a primary. H.H. still has a chance.

  19. This was not a “strong voter turnout” as Matzav reported above.
    Everyone can say what they want, but l’maaseh had the “frenzied guys” come out to support Herschel, instead of assuming “yenem” would take care of it and “their vote doesn’t really count anyhow”, Singer would have lost by a landslide.

  20. I hope he down NOT run as an independent. I was for Hershkowitz, but that would split the vote 3 ways and Singer would win anyway.

    And, as they say, he won, even though he lost.

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