Amy Mallet of Fair Haven has won a seat on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Photo by Jill Huber
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December 16, 2008
In a race that necessitated the counting of several thousand absentee and provisional ballots and added 14 days to the electoral process, Democrat Amy Mallet of Fair Haven has won a seat on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders.
Mallet, in her first successful bid for office, defeated Republican John Curley of Middletown, a former Red Bank councilman.
On Nov. 4, she was ahead by a mere 18 votes, but her lead increased to almost 350 votes after the absentee and provisional ballots were counted and certified on Nov. 20.
Her election has altered the political composition of the board, which has been under a Republican majority for the past 23 years. When the swearing-in ceremony takes place in Freehold on Jan. 6, Democrats will occupy three of the five board seats.
“I never imagined that after Election Day, I would have to wait two more weeks for the results,” Mallet told NJ Jewish News. “But we ran a good campaign, and a lot of hard work went into it.”
Political ambitions aside, Mallet said she was motivated to run for office by the Jewish values she learned during her childhood.
“I hoped things would work out so that I would be able to give something back to Monmouth County,” said Mallet, who moved to Fair Haven 25 years ago from New York City. “My husband, Lester — whose grandfather was part of the Jewish Legion during World War I and whose service is commemorated in the Jewish Legion’s museum near Tel Aviv — and our two children encouraged me to engage the voters and to be honest and up front with them. It was good advice.”
In 1979, Mallet received a bachelor’s degree in communications from Hunter College in New York, and in 1985 was awarded a graduate degree in marketing management from Baruch College, part of the City University of New York. She first explored Monmouth County when she took a road trip from New York to Sandy Hook.
“I was immediately struck by how beautiful it was,” she said. “It was, and is, so diverse, with different cultures within the 53 municipalities that compose Monmouth County. I knew I wanted to raise a family here.”
‘Source of strength’
The family joined Congregation B’nai Israel in Rumson. She is also a member of the New Jersey-Israel Commission, which promotes tourism and technological and business exchanges with the Jewish state, and conducts promotional marketing for a Neptune firm.
“My religion has been a source of strength, and it has taught me that I have a lot to offer the entire county community,” she said. “I knew it was important for me to be a participant, rather than just an observer. I want to promote the positive aspects of life, and I know that approach comes from my Jewish background. I have a realistic view of things, especially in the midst of the current economic crisis, but I think hard work, practicality, and compassion — Jewish values, to be sure — will help remedy the situation.”
During the recent campaign, her concerns about high taxes, spending issues, and affordable health care struck a chord with voters, many of whom she met during an unsuccessful bid for State Assembly last year, she added.
“This year, I think there was more of a sense that the voters could relate to me, and that I could relate to them,” Mallet said. “I told voters I would work hard on their behalf and now I’ll have the chance to keep my word.”
Her interest in environmental issues also ranks high on her list of priorities.
“Improvements to the environment will improve our quality of life, but it’s also fiscally responsible,” Mallet said. “For example, the use of motion sensors in county offices can reduce utility costs, and the use of solar power can be expanded in many areas. The county also has more than 1,000 vehicles, and I’d like to see a move toward the use of ‘smart’ cars, or hybrids. I think we can make good use of a lot of existing technology.”
And the connection between public service and Jewish values will remain paramount, she said.
“Judaism encompasses a sense of ethics, and emphasizes the need for all of us to help each other do what’s right and make a better world,” said Mallet. “I hope I can make a difference — that’s what this campaign was all about.”
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