Livingston voters will choose three Township Council members and one Board of Education member on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Three Democrats and one Republican are competing for the council seats. Incumbents Ed Meinhardt and Ketan Bhuptani join newcomer Stacey Abenstein on the Democratic ticket. Tim Foley is the sole Republican candidate.

Mayor Shawn Klein is not seeking a fourth term, as first reported by the New Jersey Globe. The GOP has not won a Livingston race since 2010, according to the Globe.

All three Democrats advanced through a competitive June primary. Meinhardt led with 1,987 votes, Abenstein followed with 1,870 and Bhuptani secured the third spot with 1,777, just 11 votes ahead of Laurie Kahn, according to NJ.com's primary results. Foley ran unopposed on the Republican line with 596 votes.

Meinhardt, a vice president at Jarmel Kizel Architects and Engineers, said in a West Essex Tribune candidate profile published Sept. 24 that he is in his 12th year on the council and has served as mayor three times, most recently in 2025. He grew up in Short Hills.

Bhuptani, who also sits on the Planning Board, has lived in Livingston for 23 years. He told the Tribune that fiscal discipline has been a priority during his time on the council, pointing to the township's Moody's Aa1 bond rating.

Abenstein, a 34-year Livingston resident, told the Tribune she has more than a decade of experience in government and public policy, including roles as chief of staff and director of constituent services. She holds a degree from Binghamton University.

Foley, a fourth-generation Livingston resident and 40-year member of the Livingston Volunteer Fire Department, works as a senior engineering technician at PSE&G. He said his priorities include lowering taxes, stopping overdevelopment and investing in infrastructure.

"My campaign platform is simple. We need to bring common sense back to our town council and I am the commonsense candidate …" Foley told the Tribune.

Board of Education

One seat is open on the Livingston Board of Education. Incumbent Fang Gong faces challenger Neal Ashinsky. The race is nonpartisan.

Gong, elected in 2023, holds a Rutgers master of public administration degree. She has served on the board's Curriculum, Equity, Policy, Strategic Planning and Long-Range Facilities Planning committees.

In an August Patch profile announcing her re-election bid, Gong said a former board member told her "the first three years are the learning years," and that she is now ready to apply that experience to a second term.

Gong has flagged two challenges facing the district: a 33% increase in employee health-benefit premiums and enrollment that the district reports is 465 students above functional capacity, projected to reach 1,116 by 2030-31.

Ashinsky, a licensed CPA in New Jersey and New York, told the Tribune he and his wife chose Livingston largely because of its schools. He described his background in business, accounting and analytics as an asset for board oversight.

Polls open Nov. 3. The Board of Education's next voting meeting after the election is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 17.