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Politics & Government

After Close Election, Congrats All Around

Caffrey speaks on Republican email.

What may seem to observers as an upset in the Morris Township election came as no surprise to incumbent Dan Caffrey, who was reelected to council.

“We knew it would be a close election,” he said on Wednesday, 24 hours after his win.

Caffrey was the top vote-getter with 2,519 votes or 25.6 percent of the total cast. Coming in second was former councilman and Democratic challenger Jeff Grayzel with 2,512, or 25.5 percent.

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Caffrey’s running mate, Andres Benvenuto and Democrat Mike Kandybowicz tallied close numbers as well.

After congratulating Grayzel, Caffrey said it was a “hard-fought, spirited campaign.”

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The last battle in that campaign was an email received by residents of Bradford Estates the morning of the election.

The 88 homes in Bradford, served by JCP&L’s Greystone substation, were without power for six days after Hurricane Irene and five after the Halloween snowstorm, Grayzel said. They also suffered six other power outages in two months.

During the campaign, Grayzel sent a letter to his Bradford neighbors commenting that the township was ignoring them.

An email, from chairman@morristwpgop.org, refuted those charges.

Bradford Estates resident Joyce Barr had questioned where the Republican chairman got the addresses, speculating it was from a list at the meeting residents had with JCP&L prior to the last storm.

But Caffrey said the addresses came from two residents who called the township Republicans, but didn’t give their names.

Both Grayzel and Kandybowicz attended the township committee meeting Wednesday.

Besides Caffrey, Mayor Scott Rosenbush, Deputy Mayor Bruce Sisler and Committeman Peter Mancuso congratulated Grayzel and told Kandybowicz they know he’ll be back in a future race.

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