League of Women Voters Cancels Montgomery Candidate Forums Due to Low Participation, Most Profiles Available Online

By Barbara A. Preston for The Montgomery News | October 8, 2026

Montgomery and Rocky Hill voters have a right to have their voices represented in government.

Candidate forums provide voters with an opportunity to ask the hard questions, in person, to determine the candidate(s) that best reflect their concerns and values. A moderator takes questions from the audience, which means voters have the chance to ask candidates – publicly and on the record – about the issues that matter most in the community. Voters deserve information and honest answers from candidates. When candidates decide not to attend a debate or forum, it is the voters that are harmed. 

After multiple attempts beginning in early August, The League of Women Voters of Greater Princeton (LWVGP) attempted to run two forums in Montgomery — one for Township Committee candidates and one for School Board candidates.

The League of Women Voters canceled the Montgomery School Board Candidate Forum because of a lack of candidates who were able to attend. A minimum of four of the nine candidates were needed.

The School Board Candidates Forum was going to happen at Montgomery Library, and was scheduled for October 14. Unfortunately, two candidates had to drop out this week, and LWVGP made the tough decision on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to cancel. Some had solid reasons to miss the forum — but ultimately, only three of nine candidates could attend.

The Township Committee Candidates Forum was a non-starter from the beginning. Doug Herring (D) and Patricia Taylor Todd (D) responded yes on Aug. 20. Chris Venus (R) and George DeSanctis (R) did not respond to the initial email on August 12 or the reminder on August 20. The deadline to respond was August 22. The LWVGP canceled the forum due to not enough candidates willing to participate.

Luckily, The Montgomery News has candidate profiles available online. And, most important, there are impressive candidates who have stepped forward to represent the township and school board.

Two Montgomery Township Committee seats are available in the November 3 General Election. 

​Incumbent Patricia Taylor-Todd (D) is running for a second 3-year-term against challenger George DeSanctis (R).  And, Doug Herring (D), appointed in July to fill the unexpired term of Vince Barragan (D), is running for a 2-year-term against challenger Chris Venis (R). 

>> Click Here to Read the Candidates' Profiles

Is Social Media Rewriting Political Campaigns?

Campaigns are now being waged online. Will the political future depend on who tells their story best online, and on the algorithm itself?

People like to vent on The Montgomery News Facebook page.

• “Farmland preservation is a joke in this town.” 

• “I have no problem with building data centers if the Montgomery Township Committee promises a reduction in property taxes.”

• “Montgomery is full. Plant a forest.”

• “Please let’s keep data centers as far from us as possible.”

• “Take the phones away during school.”

Yet, political candidates are not answering these questions.

Also, a straw poll of Montgomery and Rocky Hill people on the street, and at local events, revealed a load of highly educated people who have no idea who is running for their local school board, or for town council.

Question: “Are you prepared to vote in the local school board election?”

Common Answer: “I don’t really know who is running.” Or, “I don’t have children in the school system so I don’t pay attention to that.”

And, voter turnout is mediocre.

Percentage of Registered Voters Who Actually Voted in 2025
2025 General Election	Registered Voters	Ballots Cast	Percentage
Montgomery Township	18,898	10,252	54%
Rocky Hill	599	383	64%

Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast November 4, 2025 General Election Results from the Somerset County Clerk's Office.

In order to encourage registered voters to exercise their right to vote, and to be informed about what their candidates stand for, The Montgomery News offers free space to candidates running for local office. All but one candidate participated.

Montgomery Township Committee Candidates

>> Click Here to Read the Township Committee Candidates' Profiles

Montgomery School Board Candidates

>> Click Here to Read the School Board Candidates' Profiles

What Happened to the School Board Candidates Forum?

The League of Women Voters of the Greater Princeton Area had to cancel a Meet the Montgomery / Rocky Hill School Board Candidates Forum scheduled for October 14 at the Montgomery Library.

Chrystal Schivell of the league told The Montgomery News: “Only three candidates were able to attend the Montgomery Board of Education forum. IRS and FEC rules require that the League, being non-partisan, have one more candidate than there are seats up for election; therefore, the forum will be cancelled.  

“If one candidate can change plans and participate and will let me know immediately, we can salvage the forum. Otherwise we will inform the media, the library, and all others involved in the planning that the forum has been cancelled. The League thanks those who have returned the Agreement to participate and thanks all who have responded to VOTE411. The League also thanks The Montgomery News for facilitating a forum. The League regrets that Montgomery voters will have fewer opportunities to compare candidates."

The Montgomery News, which donated free publicity to the event, sent an initial email with two date options to all nine candidates on August 12.

Candidates who planned to participate in the forum.

• John Sangiovanni: “Yes I will attend either date.”

• Kara Alaimo : “I will make myself available on either date. Looking forward to it!”

• Sharon Marro: “ I am available both days.”

Candidates who planned to participate in the forum but dropped out.

• Christina Harris

  • “October 14 is probably better than the previous date.” (Aug. 20) 

  • “ I had a personal family situation that I couldn’t avoid.” (Oct. 6)

• Chunxiao Xu: 

  • “Thanks very much for reaching out. I am available to attend on both Thursday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 14. I do not have a preference between the two dates.” (Aug. 14) 

  • “I am writing to apologize and inform you that I will be unable to participate in the BOE candidates forum on October 14 due to a family emergency that requires me to travel. Would it be possible to schedule a separate interview for our slate — Eric Seguin, Nick Barot, and myself? We would appreciate the opportunity to share our platform with voters. Thank you for your understanding.” (Oct. 6)

• Nick Barot

  • “Thank you for invite. I can attend Wednesday, October 14.” (August 14)

  • “Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend due to an unavoidable work conflict. I will be out of state for a conference from October 12  through October 16.” (Sept. 4)

Candidates who said no.

• Eric Seguin: 

  •  “I would not be able to attend on the date selected.” (Response Aug. 20)

• Gabriela Zayova: 

  • “Thank you for reaching out and for the invitation. Unfortunately, I will not be available to participate in the candidate forum on either October 8 or October 14. I appreciate the invitation and wish you all the best with the event.” (Response on Aug. 12)

    
    

• Karen Anderson:

  •  “I do have some questions before deciding on whether I will attend. Who will be attending in the live audience?  How is the audience selected? Who determines the questions I would like to understand the format before making my decision. Can you provide the official website for this League, so I may research who they are? What is the League's affiliation with Montgomery News? Could you also provide an official website for CNJN?   Where will the recording be published? Looking forward to hearing from you!” (Response  Aug. 17.)

  • “I truly appreciate all the answers you have patiently provided, as I was trying to understand this forum and how it is run. I appreciate all your efforts, however I will not be attending.  I am not convinced that the question set is broad-ranged, nor that the targeted population truly represents all of Montgomery Township.” (Response Aug. 27)

The League of Women Voters has a long history of hosting nonpartisan candidate forums and educating the American people. Every election season, Leagues across the county hold hundreds of candidate debates and forums to help voters learn about the candidates on their ballot. Attending or watching a candidate debate is one of the best ways to prepare for casting your ballot. As a core feature of U.S. politics, candidate debates help voters learn more about a candidate and his or her stance on key issues.

School Board Candidates Kara Alaimo and Sharon Marro told The Montgomery News that they were disappointed to be informed that the upcoming candidate forum was cancelled because only three of the nine candidates were able to show up.

They emailed the following statement:

"As candidates, we are personally knocking on doors, held a public meet-and-greet this week and wanted to be at this forum because we believe it’s important to be transparent about what we stand for, answer questions from voters and hear community feedback. We’d like to remind voters that the school board cannot operate without a quorum. This means that if school board members don’t show up to meetings, the board will not be able to function. As school board candidates, we are showing up for this race. As school board members, we will show up for your children."