Before a standing-room-only crowd, Democratic Mercer County Executive Brian M. Hughes today kicked off his re-election campaign at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 269 in Lawrence.

With an eye toward the near future, County Executive Hughes noted several key projects that he would shepherd, including Trenton-Mercer Airport’s new terminal, the Dam Site 21 and Moore’s Station Quarry Park developments and the installation of electric vehicle chargers to keep up with growing demand.

Reflecting on his accomplishments, the County Executive reminded the crowd that when he first took office, Mercer County was a GOP stronghold. Since becoming County Executive, Democrats have retained power every single year. “We know in politics and life that sometimes memories can be short so let me remind everyone,” he said. “Twenty years ago, I took on the Republican political machine and won. Since my first election we have had stable, Democratic leadership in Mercer County, at the county level and in local governments.”
Acknowledging the shift in power, County Executive Hughes went on to say that good leadership means being able to work with officials from both sides of the aisle.

“I have worked cooperatively with all our elected officials, Democratic and Republican, to act in the best interest of Mercer County: to create jobs, build needed public improvements to our roads and facilities, to provide needed government services, to help our people and make Mercer County a place where we all want to live.”

Among the accomplishments highlighted by the County Executive were the “on time and under budget” criminal courthouse, the county’s largest public project in history and a critical source of jobs for trade and labor, creating 750 construction jobs during a time of high unemployment. On this and all labor projects, Mr. Hughes thanked the hardworking men and women in the trades from all the locals with whom the county has worked.

In addition to looking ahead to the two new park facilities, Mr. Hughes noted that under his leadership more than 5,700 acres of open space and farmland have been forever preserved, now totaling 27 percent of Mercer County. “In addition, our Park System, which hosts more than 2 million visitors each year, features some of the most unique programs in the state – horseback riding, tennis, a nature center, pickleball, five golf courses, a marina and the recently acquired Hopewell Valley Golf Club, of which I am particularly proud,” he said.

Executive Hughes also commended the work of his administration, saying his team has worked skillfully on the issues that matter to the people of Mercer County — job creation, open space preservation, world class parks, opportunities for young adults seeking careers and education, economic growth and development, and a commitment to continue to make Mercer County one of the most affordable and desirable places to live, work and raise a family.

“Across this county, people I meet share their praise for the quality of life here in Mercer. Our roads are in great shape, we stay on top of bridge repairs, our snowplows are timely, we’ve got a park system that is second to none, our tax rate is steady, and our services are reliable. It’s a track record that I’m proud of and want to build upon.

“We have all soldiered through the most serious and personal crisis of our time – a global pandemic. I feel it has denied me two years to advance projects that have been on hold. But there are so many great things on the horizon for Mercer County. We are now past the depths of COVID, and with unemployment down and the business environment good, I want to see these through to fruition.”

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