ANALYSIS: TOWNSHIP COMMITTEE 2017 CAMPAIGN STILL A QUESTION

As 2017 begins, the political outlook for the Township Committee offers an interesting array of outcomes as Mayor Vic Deluca and TC Member India Larrier face potential re-election campaigns.

Deluca, who was just chosen as mayor for the ninth straight year, told Maplewoodian.com he plans to run again for another three-year term on the TC this year. He has even started collecting signatures on his nominating petition, asking some Planning Board members at Tuesday's meeting to sign on.

Deluca remains extremely popular, even with the controversial Maplewood Village post office project. 

Vic Deluca

Dubbed Clarus by developer JMF Properties, the three-story, 20-apartment, five retail shop project began construction last year and will be completed during 2017.

Deluca has put much of his political muscle behind it and will likely be judged in his re-election, at least in part, on public reaction to the complex. But even with that, he is expected to do well barring some insurgent primary candidate.

India Larrier

As for Larrier, the challenge is expected to be greater. Larrier, who won re-election three yeas ago, was damaged with the late revelations that Deluca chose not to campaign with her in 2014 because of her opposition to same-sex marriage. 

It's unclear if she has changed her views or how that might play into her campaign this year. Asked if she planned to seek re-election this year, Larrier would not say. Other sources within the party indicate support for her has diminished due to the gay marriage issue.

If Larrier does not run again, or is seen as vulnerable, the door could be open for a new primary challenger. One name that was circulating is Erin Scherzer, head of the College Hill Neighborhood Association and campaign manager for new TC member Frank McGehee.

Erin Scherzer

Scherzer recently said she was stepping down from the College Hill group leadership, but would remain active in other local groups, including on the boards of the Community Coalition on Race and the Maplewood Recreation Advisory Committee.

She said she had no interest in running for the TC.

Also possible are Maplewood Democratic Committee members Garnet Hall and Amy Jo Curran. Both put their names in the running to replace TC Member Marlon Brownlee when he resigned last August. The TC chose former member Ian Grodman for the post, which he gave up when McGehee was sworn in last week.

Curran said she has no plans at the moment to run.

"There are people who are interested in looking at what this would mean for them over the course of the next four years of their lives, because there is the primary election," Grodman, who serves as Maplewood Democratic Committee chair, said about the field of potential candidates. "We have more people who are kicking the tires than we have seen over the past several years. More people have reached out earlier than in the past to get a feel for what's involved."

The deadline for filing to run in the June primary, or as an independent, is in April. Grodman said the MDC will do its annual candidate reviews and endorsements in March.

Mike Summersgill

Then there is Mike Summersgill, the recent Republican candidate for Township Committee who lost to McGehee, but made a strong public showing and offered the first real GOP challenge in years. He said he plans to run again in 2017 and could find an opening for success if the Democrats cannot find a strong candidate to run with Deluca.

Former Mayor Fred Profeta and former TC member David Huemer may also play a role. Both backed TC Member Greg Lembrich in 2015 in his successful insurgent candidacy that knocked out incumbent Jerry Ryan in the primary that year. They also were key early backers of McGehee.