MADISON -  Morris County officials love extolling the virtues of their county.

Here was Commissioner Tayfun Selen at a Monday night town hall in the borough's community center.

"Morris County is one of the best places to live," he said.

There's some hyperbole here to be sure, but a lot of that is true.

Morris has good schools on all levels, a great park system, little serious crime and many recreational amenities. Morristown, the county seat, is an entertainment and culinary center for the entire region.

All this figures to help Republicans, who have had a lock on county government forever. Really. The last Democrat elected to the seven-member board of commissioners (freeholders back then) was Douglas Romaine in 1973.

That was during Watergate.

Like that long ago time, the 2026 election looms with another Republican president with lousy approval ratings, plus an unpopular war that is lingering and lingering.

This gives Democrats hopes of winning a county commissioner seat this year.

Chris Russo, a Morristown councilman, is the party's candidate. And he is running against Selen. Only one seat is up this year.

Republicans have a 16,000 voter registration advantage. When you combine that with all the good things Morris has to offer, simple logic suggests Republicans have the advantage.

However, the overall political climate is concerning for the GOP.

And that's why Selen presided over Monday's meeting, which was streamed online.

As mentioned, he had a lot of good things to talk about.

County property taxes are low - especially when compared to other counties. The county's affluence helps, but this is still an important campaign argument.

Likewise, the county has had a triple A bond rating for decades, which allows Morris to borrow money at the lowest possible rate.

This is important, Selen noted, considering the county is building a new $80 million to $85 million justice center. The original courthouse is truly historic, but like many buildings constructed in the 1800's, it does not meet today's standards in regard to accessibility and security.

There were a few questions about development, which is always an issue.

The rub here is that the county commissioners have virtually nothing to do with what gets built. New Jersey is a "home rule" state, and development is the purview of municipalities.

Selen did say that the county can help buy open land to keep it out of the development cycle.

Russo's website offers the following

"Morris County deserves a leader that is committed to improving our quality of life, strengthening property values, and ensuring future generations inherit a county that remains both vibrant and livable. I believe we can deliver more at the county level while still preserving affordability and while honoring the character of our neighborhoods."

Hate to be cynical, but that is the type of vanilla statement that could apply to any county in the United States.

But right below it is the real reason Russo wants voter support.

"End Single Party Rule," it says.

It's hard for average people to focus on county government, which tends to be obscure. And the lack of daily newspaper coverage these days makes it more obscure.

So this is very much a party election.

Selen and Republicans have to hope that even in a seemingly good year for Dems, enough people in Morris reward Republicans for their stewardship over the years.

There were three commission seats up last year and Republicans won by an average of 5,000 votes - a much closer margin than, say, a decade ago.

That's why Republicans are working very hard for Selen. How hard?

Well, John Sette, a former county GOP chair, and Jim Gannon, the popular sheriff, are two of the hosts for a $250 per person Selen fundraiser Tuesday in Morristown.