From the Bernardsville News…

Jessica Simpson-Cook, the Democratic candidate for the Bernards Township Committee, announced this week that her campaign will display fewer campaign signs in public areas than other candidates have used in years past.

In a press release, the Democratic candidate’s campaign committee said that Simpson-Cook “recognizes the risks of her decision, but believes the aesthetics of the township and the impact to the environment supersedes the benefit generated by the signage.

“It has always bothered me to see so many political signs all over the township,” Simpson-Cook said. “It takes away from the beauty. Clusters of signs for the same candidate in the same public space are annoying and are not great for the environment.

“I recognize the need for signs, but I am committed to minimizing my campaign’s signage as part of my platform to be accountable to the needs of our town and concerns of our residents,” she said. “Our signs will not go up before Sept. 20, and will be removed right after election day.”

“I encourage my opponent to make the same commitment to maintain the beauty of our beautiful township,” she added.

Simpson-Cook is running against Republican incumbent Janice Fields in the November general election for a three-year term on the Township Committee. Both candidates were unopposed in the June primary election.

Currently, all five seats on the governing body are held by Republicans.

‘Less Is More’

Contacted by this newspaper for a response on Friday, Fields was largely in agreement with limiting the number of campaign signs around town.

“I was outspoken last year about my disdain for too many signs out,” she said. “I won’t be crazy with my signs. They won’t be all over the place as far as my campaign is concerned. I can’t talk about anybody else’s campaign.

“I believe less is more,” she added. “We want to keep the town beautiful and it doesn’t need to be littered with a whole bunch of signs.”