On March 5, Dan Benson won the Mercer County Democratic Convention vote in a landslide, becoming the Democrat’s endorsed candidate for County Executive and securing the Mercer Democratic line. Benson won 384 votes among the assembled county committee members, which represents 77% of the total votes cast.

County Commissioner Sam Frisby nominated Benson, with former Hopewell Township Mayor Julie Blake seconding the nomination. Before the convention vote, Benson gave a speech to delegates where he said, “I’m focused on the needs of Mercer County. I’m committed to working with our local elected officials to bring real innovation, transparency, and collaboration. As County Executive, you will always know where I stand. I will invest in our future through better infrastructure, education, and helping those that need it most. I believe diversity is our strength and we will make county government even more diverse in every aspect moving forward.”

Benson continued, “Sometimes the status quo is riskier than making a change. With the Hughes administration, we’ve seen too many missed opportunities, empty promises, and wasted taxpayer dollars. To keep winning in November, we need to make the right choice today and make a change for the future of Mercer County.”

Benson thanked Mercer County Democrats for their confidence and support and pledged to take this momentum into the primary. “I’m honored to secure the Mercer County Democratic Party’s endorsement for County Executive. I look forward to taking our message of leadership that works for everyone into the June 6 primary and making the case for new leadership in Mercer,” said Benson.

Benson thanked the county’s labor unions, Benson’s Campaign Chair Jeannine Frisby LaRue, and former Trenton Mayor Doug Palmer for their endorsements and support. Benson also thanked Mercer County Democratic Chair Janice Mironov and the convention committee for a well-run convention.

Benson has served for twelve years as a member of the New Jersey Assembly. Previously he served as a Councilman in Hamilton and as a member Board of County Commissioners (then Freeholders).

Beyond the endorsement of the Mercer County Democrats today at the convention, Dan Benson has also been endorsed by the following groups and individuals for County Executive. Benson thanked them for their endorsement:

Organizations:
Mercer County AFL-CIO Central Labor Council
Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 9
Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA)
Communications Workers of America (CWA) District 1
New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association (NJ FMBA)
New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association (NJ PBA)
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) New Jersey State Council
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers
Council of NJ State College Locals AFT/AFL-CIO
Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes Division—International Brotherhood of Teamsters
Professional Firefighters Association of NJ
New Jersey Working Families Party
Princeton Community Democratic Organization (PCDO)
Our Revolution Trenton Mercer
314 Action

Individuals:

State Legislators:
Senator Linda Greenstein, District 14
Senator Andrew Zwicker, District 16
Assemblyman Roy Freiman, District 16
Assemblywoman Sadaf Jaffer, District 16

East Windsor:
Marc Lippman, Deputy Mayor
David Russell, Council Member & Democratic Municipal Committee Vice-Chair
Peter Yeager, Council Member and Democratic Club President
Alan Rosenberg, Council Member
Denise Daniels, Council Member
John Zoller, Council Member
Tony Katawick, Democratic Club Vice President

Ewing:
Lucylle Walter, County Commissioner
Jennifer Keyes-Maloney, Council Member & MCDC First Vice-Chair
Kathleen Wollert, Council President
Howard Greenberg, MCDC Recording Secretary
Mary Corrigan, Democratic Municipal Committee Vice-Chair
Carl Benedetti Jr, Democratic Club President
Walt Brown, Democratic Club Corresponding Secretary
Karen Bellamy Lewis, International Representative at IFPTE Union & Democratic Committee Member

Hamilton:
Jack Kemler, Sheriff
John Cimino, County Commissioner
Nina Melker, County Commissioner
Jeff Martin, Mayor
Rick Tighe, Council Member
Pat Papero, Council Member
Nancy Phillips, Council Member
Bob Dorio, Hamilton Democratic Municipal Chair
Gary Schuck, Democratic Club President
Janna Sheinman, Democratic Club Vice President
Scarlett Rajski, Democratic State Committeewoman
Michael Maloney, Business Manager, Plumbers Local 9
Roberto Hernandez, President, Mercer County Latino Democratic Caucus

Hightstown:
Susan Bluth, Mayor
Fred Montferrat, Council Member & Democratic Municipal Committee Chair
Joshua Jackson, Council Member & Democratic Municipal Committee Vice-Chair
Joseph Cicalese, Council Member & Democratic Club President
Cristina Cormio Fowler, Council Member
Lawrence Quattrone, Former Mayor
Steve Misiura, Former Council Member

Hopewell Borough:
Samara McAuliffe, Council Member & Democratic Municipal Committee Chair
Ryan Kennedy, Council Member
Krista Weaver, Council Member

Hopewell Township:
Kristin McLaughlin, County Commissioner
Michael Ruger, Mayor
Courtney Peters-Manning, Deputy Mayor
David Chait, Committee Member
Kevin Kuchinski, Committee Member
Uma Purandare, Committee Member
Bill Stolow, Democratic Municipal Committee Chair
Julie Blake, Democratic Municipal Committee Vice-Chair & Former Mayor
Lisa Rizziello, Public Educator & Community Leader

Lawrence:
Cathleen Lewis, County Commissioner
John Ryan, Mayor
Christopher Bobbitt, Council Member
James Kownacki, Council Member
Elissa Grodd Schragger, Democratic Municipal Committee Chair
Eric Puliti, Democratic Municipal Committee Vice-Chair
Olympia I’liou Perry, Democratic Club President
Greg Puliti, Democratic State Committee Member & Former Mayor

Pennington:
James Davy, Mayor
Nadine Stern, Council Member & Democratic Municipal Committee Chair
Katrina Angarone, Council Member
Charles “Chico” Marciante, Council Member
Reba Holley, Democratic Municipal Committee Vice-Chair

Princeton:
Mark Freda, Mayor
Mia Sacks, Council President
Leticia Fraga, Council Member
David Cohen, Council Member
Eve Niedergang, Council Member
Michelle Pirone-Lambros, Council Member
Leighton Newlin, Council Member
Jon Durbin, MCDC Corresponding Secretary & Former Princeton Community Democratic Organization President
Owen O’Donnell, Democratic Municipal Committee Chair
Felicia Spitz, Democratic Municipal Committee First Vice-Chair
Jane Manners, Princeton Community Democratic Organization First Vice President
Tommy Parker, Former Princeton Community Democratic Organization President & Former Democratic Municipal Committee President

Robbinsville:
Democratic Municipal Chair Charles “Rick” Austin
Democratic Municipal Vice-Chair Carol Ann Blank
Democratic Club President Kiran Agrahara
Democratic Club Vice President Amanda Gruber

Trenton:
Samuel Frisby, County Commissioner
Teska Frisby, Council President
Crystal Feliciano, Council Vice-President
Douglas Palmer, Former Mayor
Annette Lartigue, Former Council Member
Manuel Segura, Former Council Member
David Ponton, Mercer Democratic Party Blue Wave Chairperson
Andrew Bobbit, Trenton Democratic Party GOTV Coordinator
Brian Blakely, Community Leader
Lance Lopez, Community Leader

West Windsor:
Democratic Municipal Chair Charmi Patel-Pena
Democratic Municipal Vice-Chair Fauzia Farooqui
Democratic Club President Daniel Weiss
Democratic Municipal Treasurer Willa Inlender
Former Councilman and Democratic State Committeeman Yingchao ‘YZ’ Zhang