MORRIS TOWNSHIP - Passed over by his fellow Democrats, William "Bud" Ravitz was all set to seek reelection to the township committee this fall as an independent.

That's never easy and in the last few days, Ravitz had second thoughts.

He's not running.

“I’ve looked at every possible election outcome,” he said in a statement. “I’m confident I would have received significant support and perhaps even won reelection. But given the circumstances of not having the support of my Democratic colleagues, and where I am in life, this is the right decision for me.”

Ravitz served two terms on the committee and ran once for Morris County Commissioner, which is a pretty heavy lift to say the least. Only one Democrat has been elected freeholder/commissioner in Morris County in at least 100 years.
The township, which surrounds Morristown, had been very "red" as well, but that has changed. Dems gained a foothold more than a decade ago and today, they hold all five seats.

Earlier this year, the township's Democratic Committee bypassed Ravitz and endorsed two newcomers for the governing body - Jeremy Godwin and Dr. Stephanie Lyon.

Ravitz, who says he was inspired to get into politics by Bernie Sanders, says some of his fellow Dems thought he spent too much time talking about national issues.

We may eventually hear more about that.

In his statement, Ravitz mentioned "the ugly side of politics." He added:

“When elected to a second term, my ticket won by 14 points, and I believe I would have handily won reelection. There is one overriding reason why I was neither consulted nor ultimately endorsed, but I will address that shortly after Labor Day in an open letter to Township residents”

For township politicos, something to look forward to.