Daryl Eisenberg Knegten Seeks Reelection for Watchung Borough Council
Watchung Born and Raised Council Member Seeking Second Term

March 16, 2021, Watchung –  Daryl Eisenberg Knegten will be the first incumbent Democrat on the Watchung Borough Council to seek reelection in the history of Watchung. 

“Three years ago, I ran for Borough Council to make sure that the town where I was born and raised, and where I have chosen to raise my family, is the best it can be. We are on the road to recovery, but there is still significant work ahead of us. Our local government must continue to bring as much value as possible to the residents of Watchung while maintaining fiscally-sound finances. This town spoke in 2018 and demanded change, now it is time to continue what we started,” says Eisenberg Knegten.

Council Member Daryl Eisenberg Knegten was elected to the Watchung Borough Council in 2018 with broad community support. In her first term on council, Watchung Borough minimized municipal debt, lowered overhead, and held down tax increases. Due to these cost-cutting measures, the Borough will be able to invest in some needed improvements throughout the community. Council Member Eisenberg Knegten has served as Fire Commissioner, Board of Education Liaison, Watchung Library Advisory Board and Library Construction Ad Hoc Liaison, Laws and Ordinances Committee Chair, Public Works Committee Chair, Youth Services Liaison, and Green Brook Flood Commission Liaison. 

“Daryl has the vision and point of view of so many young families who can see the future of Watchung while holding true to their past great traditions. She is an asset and a voice we need on the Watchung council for years to come,” said Peg Schaffer, Vice Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee and Chair of the Somerset County Democratic Committee in her endorsement of Eisenberg Knegten.

“We’ve kept a library in Watchung and are working on an affordable plan for a much-needed replacement for the old library building. I am proud to have spearheaded the council’s first-ever Office Hours program–allowing residents a weekly drop-in opportunity to have their voices heard without the formality of a public meeting. I have been steadfast in my goals of accessibility and engagement–meeting my neighbors where they are, on their schedules, to address their specific needs. During this time of uncertainty, I helped Watchung residents deal with the unexpected challenges of a worldwide pandemic by staffing the COVID helpline, coordinating volunteers, and leading many community efforts and fundraisers, such as the Feed To Give program, and spirit-lifting opportunities, like the Easter Bunny drive-by and the Front-Porch Photo Sessions.”

In addition to serving on the Borough Council, Eisenberg Knegten is the current president of the Watchung Parent Teacher Organization and the owner and managing partner of Eisenberg/Beans Casting–an Artios-nominated full-service casting office for Broadway, theater, film, television, and commercial industries. She resides on Oakwood Rd East with her husband Paul, and children Calee (14), Calvin (5), and Judah (3). 

For further information, visit facebook.com/votedaryl.

Watchung has been a bellwether for political shifts in Somerset County. The swift change from a Republican stronghold in Watchung to a Democrat majority has been a microcosm for the county writ large. In the course of two elections (2018 and 2019), Watchung went from having only three Democrats elected in over half a century to having a Democratic majority with a Mayor and four Council Members in office.