MORRISTOWN – The last Republican mayor in this historic town – the county seat in Morris County – was the late John “Jay” Delaney Jr.

DeLaney, who died two years ago, served eight years as mayor, leaving at the end of 2005.

Now his son, Andrew Delaney, a 37-year-old attorney, is ready for a political career of his own.

DeLaney announced plans to seek a town council seat last Saturday at a local restaurant. Three at-large seats are up next year and DeLaney wants one of them.

DeLaney called the turnout “off the charts.”

State Sen. Jon Bramnick, who is also a gubernatorial candidate was there, as were a number of local Republican state legislators and county commissioners.

What gives?

This was a campaign launch for one council candidate. The seven-person council now has six Democrats and one independent. Mayor Tim Dougherty is also a Democrat.

You can understand why Republicans are enthused. There hasn’t been a Republican on the Morristown Council for about five years and there were times when the GOP didn’t even field candidates.

Now they have a candidate with a well-known name, and don’t forget that Republicans across the county – and state – are still on a post-election high.

Getting back to basics, DeLaney said in a chat after the event that there will be an overarching theme to his campaign – that would be standing up to the administration.

Beyond that, DeLaney wants more community policing, better coordination of development and a crackdown on “stacking,” or illegally overcrowded apartments.

He also is troubled by what has been a town asset for centuries – literally. That would be the Morristown Green, which is both the geographic and symbolic center of town.

Three life-size statues of Washington, Hamilton and Lafayette stand on the Green, depicting a meeting among the trio during the Revolutionary War.

On Monday, workers were putting together the town’s annual Christmas celebration on The Green.

DeLaney says, however, that too much of what happens on The Green is not nearly as wholesome.

He said drug use is common and overdoses have occurred. He also complained about people urinating and exposing themselves.

Redevelopment has changed the town a lot over the last 20 years or so and there are more issues on the horizon. Not the least of which are expansion plans of Morristown Medical Center and the redevelopment of North Park Place – right across the street from The Green.

You can count on those issues being part of the 2025 campaign.

The three incumbent Democrats on the council whose terms are expiring next year are Toshiba Foster, David Silva and Nathan Umbriac. All seats are at-large. The mayor’s seat also is up in 2025.

“It’s just the start,” DeLaney said, noting that the bar he set for himself is pretty high.

That’s for sure.

The recent election was a good one for Republicans, but in Morristown, Kamala Harris beat Donald Trump almost 2-1.