Become a committee person! There are two representatives in each of our 24 voting districts. Currently we have openings in Districts 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 19.
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Committee representatives are obliged to support the party’s purposes and support Democratic candidates for election after their selection in a primary election. Representatives should also seek to grow local party members, volunteer for campaigns, act as challengers during elections, help with events, and assist the municipal chair as requested.
The BTDC consists of 48 representatives, two from each district. Members should attend at least 50 percent of the open and closed meetings, participate in conducting the business of the BTDC and actively support individuals in local, county, state, and federal elections. Participation in Township Committee campaigns is particularly encouraged.

The Bernards Township Democratic Committee (BTDC) Civic Scholarship, founded in 2019, is awarded to a Ridge High School junior or senior who aspires to foster civic engagement and democratic values. The chosen applicant will receive $1,000 and a summer internship with a political candidate. Applications may be submitted to the BTDC Scholarship Committee from March […]

Many efforts sustained by the BTDC are driven, and driven quietly, by civic-minded volunteers who go about the business of building community around them. Doing things like chatting about candidates among neighbors and distributing political signs. Urging friends to attend meetings and rallies. Knocking doors during campaign season, and more. These are just some of […]

Hello! The Spring Equinox, March 20, is just around the corner, and just in the nick of time, as the community has “weathered” through several significant snowstorms that prompted school closings and disruption to transit. I would like to express my gratitude to our Department of Public Works, Police Department, Fire companies and EMT squad […]

The BTDC benefits from all sorts of volunteers who work quietly, consistently and under the proverbial radar. One such volunteer is Bhavani Ravichandran. When asked to canvass, she makes herself available. When called on to plant signs – even multiple signs – in her very visible front yard, the answer is always yes. Bhavani grew […]

Hello and Happy new year! As has been customary, I am sharing an update on the Township Committee actions that have occurred during the month of January. On Tuesday, January 6, we held our annual reorganization meeting. Mr. Brett Hodges and Mr. John Tompkins were sworn in as newly elected Township Committee members. Later, I […]

On Tuesday, January 6, Bernards Township enjoyed an historic occasion – the swearing in of its first Democratic mayor ever, as well as its first Democratic majority in nearly a century. The Warren Craft Room at the Municipal Building on Collyer Lane was jam-packed with residents who witnessed Ana McCarthy’s swearing in as Mayor, John […]

Hello! I hope everyone celebrating has enjoyed a nice holiday season. We hosted our 36th annual Christmas Eve dinner, for the combined Duarte and McCarthy families. This year’s theme, “A Wintry White Christmas” was a wonderful evening of laughter and love. During December the Township Committee held two meetings. At the December 9 meeting, […]

Hailing from Austin, Texas where they met and studied computer science, Linda Ness and Munir Cochinwala have enjoyed decades raising their family in Basking Ridge. While Linda grew up on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota, and Munir in Pakistan, this dynamic pair shares common ground in their support for democracy in all its iterations. […]

Not only is Casey Collins a true-blue Democrat, she’s a true-blue friend. As a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, during the first week of college, Casey met two men who would both become loves of her life. One would become her husband, but that story is for another day. The other would become a lifelong […]

Hello! I hope everyone enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving. We were in Mendham at the home of my sister Amalia, Committeewoman, Mendham Township. This was her 30th year hosting and underscores how time flies. In this season of thanks, I want to express my gratitude to Bernards Township residents Brett Hodges, John Tompkins, and Elizabeth Graner, for […]

There’s a very impactful group of Democrats in town that flies beneath the proverbial radar – Bernards Township Progressive Women. The cohort first came together as a very small private Facebook group started by Lisa Bahler in 2016 and grew exponentially after Trump’s first election. Today, the Progressive Women’s page boasts more than 500 followers. […]

November 19, 2025 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Democrats Win the Majority on the Bernards Township Committee We are pleased to share that as of today’s election certification, Brett Hodges and John Tompkins were elected to the Bernards Township Committee, commencing January 6, 2026. This election also marks the first time in recent history that every Democratic […]