Keith Hahn, the cop who served as chairman of the Edison Democratic Party until earlier this year, is switching parties to run for mayor of his hometown as a Republican.

Hahn, who tonight collected the unanimous support of the local GOP after filling out paperwork earlier in the day to change his party affiliation, will challenge Mayor Tom Lankey in the November general election.

In June, Hahn lost the chairmanship of the Edison Democratic Party to Shariq Ahmed by one vote.

Largely viewed as a transitional figure from the beginning, Hahn two years ago upset the heir to the Doc Paterniti era of Edison Democratic Party politics, then could not hold on as he attempted to coalesce support to hold off a minority voter population riding Ahmed.