Elected in November of 2017, Westfield Mayor Shelley Brindle today issued a letter backing Acting Chair Colleen Mahr to serve as chair of the Union County Democratic Committee. 

The mayor released the letter of support for Mahr with the additional allies of ​Councilwoman Linda Habgood​,​ ​Councilman Mike Dardia​,​ ​Councilman David Contract​ &​ ​Councilwoman Dawn Mackey.

“I, along with the four recently elected Town Councilpersons, are proud to support Mayor Colleen Mahr for Chair of the Union County Democratic Committee (UCDC) and have encouraged the Westfield NJ Democratic Committee to join us. We’re confident that Colleen is the right leader to move Union County forward,” said Brindle in a statement.

“Colleen and I first got to know each other last spring, early in my campaign for Mayor of WestfieldNJ. She wanted to meet with me when most folks thought I didn’t have a chance to win. Recently retired from a corporate career as an HBO senior executive, I was a first time political candidate wanting to make a difference in my own​ ​communit​y​,” the mayor added. “Colleen supported me when it wasn’t popular or politically expedient, reflecting the type of person she is—one who does good deeds when no one is looking simply because it’s the right thing to do. 

“She helped me navigate everything from the political landscape to municipal finance. She referred me to subject matter experts and actively made sure I had the resources necessary to be successful. With an enormous show of bipartisan support from Westfield residents, our slate of Democratic candidates won in a historic sweep, and Colleen was an instrumental part of that success. And her mentorship continues to this day, as she shepherded me through my first League of Municipalities Conference and accompanied me to Governor Phil Murphy’s swearing in ceremony, making introductions to everyone she thought could help me do great things for Westfield. But it’s in Colleen’s record of strong, results driven leadership where I see the most compelling reasons to support her for Chair of #UCDC. As Fanwood, NJ’s Mayor for 15 years, she transformed the Downtown and led its economic redevelopment; advocated for one-seat rides to NYC as a founding member of the Raritan Valley Line Coalition; and became the 1st Vice President of the New Jersey League of Municipalities.

“Colleen is a public servant, through-and-through. As #UCDC Chair, she will lead with the same courage, inclusiveness, and integrity we in Westfield experienced first-hand.”