Peapack-Gladstone Council President John L. Sweeney, the Republican nominee for Somerset County Surrogate, died this morning. He was 63.
Sweeney first won election to the council in 2001 on a ticket with William Horton; he served from 2002 to 2013, and again since 2019. His council colleagues have elected him council president for the last three years.
“John led the effort to preserve the land as council president twenty years ago,” said Tim Howes, a former Peapack-Gladstone councilman and Somerset County GOP chairman. “Every time I walk through the park, I am thankful for what John did to preserve this land.
In February, Sweeney announced a bid to challenge incumbent Democrat Bernice “Tina” Jalloh; Jalloh unseated former Surrogate Frank Bruno, a Republican, in 2020. At the Republican convention, Sweeney defeated former Bernards Township Police Chief Brian Bobowicz, 146-63.
A graduate of Yale University and Seton Hall Law School, Sweeney ran his own law firm focusing on estate planning, estate administration, and business succession planning.
Somerset County Republicans have until August 28 to pick a replacement candidate for Sweeney to run in the general election.
Sweeney’s death also triggers a special election to fill his unexpired term on the borough Council. The municipal clerk will need to open up a petition process to get on the ballot to run for the remaining thirteen months of Sweeney’s term.
In the meantime, the four members of the Peapack-Gladstone Republican County Committee must submit three names to the borough council to replace Sweeney on an interim basis. The council may either pick one of the names or return the decision to the local party organization. The governing body must also pick a new council president.
Sweeney is survived by his wife, Karen, and their four children.
The post John Sweeney, Somerset GOP surrogate candidate, dies at 63 appeared first on New Jersey Globe.