Committeeman Michael Friedman announces he will not seek re-election

Friedman, the lone Republican on the Voorhees Township Committee, will serve his last year as an elected official and not seek reelection citing personal reasons

At the Voorhees Township Committee meeting last Monday at the Voorhees Town Center, Committeeman Michael Friedman announced he would not be seeking re-election this November.

“While this may come as a surprise to many, yesterday, I advised the leadership in my party that I will not be seeking re-election to a fourth term on the Voorhees Township Committee in November’s election,” Friedman said.

Friedman was first elected in 2010, defeating Democrat incumbent Dean T. Mazurek by approximately 200 votes. Friedman was later re-elected in 2013 and 2016, having received the most votes for a Republican candidate in Voorhees Township since 1999 in his most recent reelection.

“I understand this decision, which I certainly didn’t make flippantly, may be disappointing to all of the wonderful people… that have supported me and supported checks and balances in town throughout the years,” he said.

Friedman said, due to increased responsibilities with his law firm, coupled with his responsibilities to his family, “a fourth term would simply be incompatible with making sure my priorities are properly in line.”

Friedman also thanked his wife and children for their support during his tenure with local government over the past nine years.

“I’m fully confident that, given my record, I would be successful in another run for a fourth term, as I never give less than 110 percent effort in governing or campaigning,” Friedman said. “However, because of the demands, such a run would require nothing less than a max effort.”

“I’m announcing my decision at this time so that [the Voorhees Republican Party] has sufficient time to certainly find another candidate who likewise wants to give back to their community and give 110 percent effort to the cause that is Voorhees Township,” Friedman added.

Friedman said he looks to still be vocal and involved in some fashion after his term ends with Voorhees Township Committee to help keep local officials accountable with taxpayer money.

Friedman’s seat will be the lone seat open on Voorhees Township Committee this upcoming election, leaving the opportunity open for a fully Democrat-elected committee.

Republicans have not been successful in adding party members to Voorhees Township Committee in recent years alongside Friedman. In the past election, Republicans Ilyse Pinette and Carmine Valentino were unsuccessful in taking either of the two available seats from incumbents Michelle Nocito and Jason Ravitz.

According to the Camden County Board of Elections, Nocito received 7,325 votes in the past election while Ravitz received 6,664 votes. Pinette received 5,011 and Valentino received 4,889 votes.