Franklin Lakes GOP will have another contested council primary. Here's who's running

FRANKLIN LAKES — For a third year, a previously unified Republican Party is presenting voters with a contested primary election.

Three Republicans are running for two three-year seats in the June 4 primary.

Councilman Thomas Lambrix is not seeking a new term. There are no Democratic challengers.

The Franklin Lakes GOP County Committee is backing incumbent Michele DeLuccia, elected to a one-year unexpired term last fall, with newcomer and fellow Parks and Recreation Foundation member Constantine "Dean" Skamas under the "Republicans for Responsible Government" slogan.

Former Councilman Joseph Cadicina is seeking a fourth term under the alternative "Republicans for Franklin Lakes" banner.

Committee choices

It is unclear what the local GOP committee's choices signify in terms of direction or goals.

In the 2022 primary, without public explanation, the committee ousted Cadicina from the party line after three terms of unchallenged support, along with fellow three-term Councilwoman Ann Swist. The committee shifted its support to newcomers Joel Ansh and Ardith Cardenas, who were elected to their first terms.

Planning Board Chairman Gary Sheppard ran unsuccessfully as an independent in the November race. Councilwoman Gail Kelly ran unsuccessfully for mayor on the alternative GOP slate with Cadicina and Swist as council candidates.

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Ansh and Cardenas frequently attend Ramapo Indian Hills Board of Education meetings, where Ansh's wife, Kim, is now board president, and they speak in support of parents' rights and other educational issues. However, the two split over the controversial Cigna property rezoning vote last November. Ansh voted in favor of rezoning, and Cardenas voted against it.

For a second time in the 2023 primary, the Franklin Lakes County Committee bumped incumbent Kelly, now seeking a second council term, to the alternative party line. Instead, the committee tapped Sheppard to run under its banner with council President Dennis Bonagura, seeking a third term. GOP voters defied the slate, instead electing Sheppard and Kelly to run without opposition under the GOP banner last November. Sheppard voted in favor of the Cigna rezoning; Kelly voted against it.

Republicans for Responsible Government candidates

Michele DeLuccia, a 23-year resident, is seeking her first full term after serving the one-year unexpired term of Charles Kahwaty, who was elected mayor last November. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Villanova University. The stay-at-home mother of four has been appointed to two terms on the Franklin Lakes Parks and Recreation Foundation and served as a member of Mayor Frank Bivona's Community Advisory Group. Her volunteer work includes the PTAs at Woodside Avenue School and Franklin Avenue Middle School.

Constantine "Dean" Skamas is a 20-year resident seeking his first council term He holds a degree in economics from Syracuse University. During his 13 years as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves, he was deployed to the Persian Gulf as part of operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He serves as treasurer of the Franklin Lakes Parks and Recreation Foundation. He is also a member of the Franklin Lakes Office of Emergency Management. He recently retired after working more than 30 years in the financial services industry.

Republicans for Franklin Lakes candidates

Joseph Cadicina is a 13-year resident, and former councilman elected to full terms in 2014, 2017 and 2020. At age 19 in 1990, he was elected to a term on the Garfield Board of Education, eventually serving as vice president and president. He holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Seton Hall University and a law degree from Western Michigan's Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He is a member of a matrimonial and family law practice in Morristown. He has served as president of the Morris County Bar Association and Foundation.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Franklin Lakes Republicans face contested primary election again