In the upcoming election on Tuesday, November 3, Democrats Lance Liverman and Heather Howard, both Democrats, will be up for re-election to Princeton Council. Contesting them are Republicans Lynn Lu Irving and Kelly Di Tosto, both newcomers to the Princeton political arena.

The incumbents cite improvements and accomplishments during their time on Council, particularly during the adjustment period to a consolidated community, as reasons for re-election to the all-Democrat governing body. Ms. Irving and Ms. Di Tosto count party diversity and keeping Princeton affordable among the reasons to cast votes their way.

Mr. Liverman, who is a property manager, served on Princeton Township Committee before the town consolidated in 2012, when he became a member of the merged Council. A native of Princeton, he is often a voice of mediation during Council discussions. “I find myself as a person in the middle,” he said. “I listen to both sides. I try to be in the middle of each issue.”

His love for the community, desire to serve, and longtime local affiliation are reasons to keep him on Council, he said. Among the issues that concern him are the future of the Witherspoon-Jackson neighborhood, where many residents feel threatened by rising prices and redevelopment. “I’m kind of mixed on this. I wish the character of the neighborhood could stay the way it is,” he said. “But I also understand when an investment such as a home is the only investment you have, you might need to sell, for whatever you need the funds for. It’s a tough issue.”

As for the fact that all of the current Council members are from the same party, Mr. Liverman said, “We’re not seven people thinking the same. People say we’re a one-party government, but you can be one party and not think the same. We all have different opinions on issues.”

Ms. Howard, a health policy expert who works at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School, served on Borough Council prior to consolidation, when she was elected to the merged Council. She has focused on public safety, health, and immigration issues during her term. “There is a national debate going on about the role of the police in communities around the country,” she said. “But here at home we have really emphasized the relationship between the police and the community, and I want to continue that. It is so important.”

The fact that people from the immigrant communities now feel comfortable about making complaints to police is evidence that relationships have improved. “We want to be a welcoming community to everyone,” Ms. Howard said. “That’s a key part of our public safety strategy, and everyone should trust the police. We need to make sure everyone has access to the services they need. That’s why the issue of wage theft is so disturbing. But we have made progress. It’s gratifying to work on those issues.”

Ms. Irving, who has worked in real estate, said the current Council has not lived up to residents’ expectations of better services and lower property taxes. Raising a family in town “gives me all the perspective necessary to identify with the problems I share with fellow Princetonians,” she said in an email. “I will use my proven social skills to collaborate on solving them.”

If elected, Ms. Irving continued, she would like to reduce the number of ordinances that require more capital spending or inconvenience residents, and see Council “stop wasting time on passing resolutions that have nothing to do with Princeton and distract the council from the essence of its responsibility. The priority challenge is to keep Princeton affordable for all. Princeton has a $61 million annual operating budget, $11.4 million of which goes to servicing the debt — that’s about 19 percent of the budget. The Council should focus on cutting taxes to keep the embattled middle class from having to flee town. I’d like to see Princeton Council focus strictly on local issues while actually listening to local residents’ concerns.”

Ms. DiTosto, who works in accounting, is a longtime Princeton resident who raised her three children here. “I have a sincere desire in looking out for the best interests of all of Princeton’s residents and taxpayers and a belief that office holders should serve the best interests of all members of our community regardless of party affiliation,” she said in an email. “The issues that a local government face are, to a great extent, financial. No other current Council member has an accounting or financial background and I believe I can play an instrumental role in bringing about a more fiscally responsible Council.”

Running for Princeton Public Schools’ Board of Education are Elizabeth (Betsy) Kalber Baglio, a former public school teacher and educational consultant who is a parent volunteer at Community Park Elementary School; Robert Dodge, a research scientist in a biopharma company; lawyer Dafna Kendal; and incumbent Patrick Sullivan, who is a private investor, former corporate lawyer, and investment banker.

New Jersey Assembly members Jack M. Ciattarelli and Donna M. Simon, who are Republicans, are being challenged by physicist Andrew Zwicker and attorney and former municipal court judge Maureen Vella, both Democrats. County executive Brian Hughes, a Democrat, is up for re-election, contested by Republican Lisa Richford, while County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello, a Democrat, is challenged by Republican Susan Bagley.

In the race for Mercer County Freeholders, Democrats Ann M. Cannon, Pasquale “Pat” Colavita Jr., and Samuel T. Frisby are contested by Republicans Anthony “Tony” Davis, Ira Marks, and Jason Lee DeFrancesco.