To the Editor:

Something very interesting happened on the way to the forum to elect our first united government in Princeton. The six Democratic candidates for Council — Heather Howard, Patrick Simon, Bernie Miller, Jo Butler, Lance Liverman, and Jenny Crumiller — could have run this campaign individually, with each candidate looking out for him or herself. These are confident individuals with varied backgrounds, positions, and constituencies, and it might have been easier to run independently. But that is not what they chose to do. They opted instead to put differences aside and to team up, to work together for a common campaign, just as they have been working together with many members of our community to implement consolidation. Looking for common ground and the greater good for the larger community is what defines this moment in our town’s history and the rationale for forming this team of Democrats.

As a volunteer I worked earlier this year with Democratic council candidates individually. Over the summer as the team formed and solidified, I have been impressed with the sharing, support, and bonding. The backgrounds that these candidates bring to the table is diverse in healthcare, public policy, transportation and logistics, job development, engineering, and real estate. Their experiences and their strengths complement each other. Five of the six currently hold elected positions on the Borough Council or Township Committee, and all six have worked with the Consolidation Commission or the Transition Task Force or on one or more of the subcommittees of those groups. Together these six candidates, along with Liz Lempert, our Democratic mayoral candidate, represent in unity a microcosm of our two communities coming together in consolidation. All six candidates have experience gained through working on current day-to-day issues of municipal government, ensuring that the benefits of consolidation are delivered as promised.

Consolidation is and will continue to be a journey, and its achievement is the defining mission of these Democratic candidates. The new town council will have six seats and I ask you to join me in supporting all six of these candidates for Princeton Council. They deserve our support so progress, guiding the consolidation strategy, will continue into successful implementation with their intelligent and sensitive stewardship.

Doreen Blanc Rockstrom

Maidenhead Road