Middletown GOP split takes shape in crowded primary for Township Committee seats

Five candidates have filed petitions to run for two open seats on the Middletown Township Committee in the June 2, 2026 primary, according to the latest candidate list produced by election officials. The field includes a contested Republican primary and a two-candidate Democratic slate for the seats to be decided in November.

The race comes at a moment of transition in local government. One incumbent is not seeking re-election, the current mayor is running for county commissioner, and a sitting board of education member is seeking higher office. The Republican primary, in particular, reflects a split between county-backed candidates and an independent challenger.

Middletown operates under the Township Committee form of government, with five members elected at-large to staggered three-year terms. The committee reorganizes annually in January, selecting a mayor and deputy mayor from among its members for one-year terms.

Republican primary: county-backed slate and independent challenger

On the Republican side, Ryan Clarke, Morganne Dudzinski, and Mark Soporowski have filed for the June primary. Clarke and Dudzinski are listed with the slogan “Official Candidate Monmouth County Republican Organization,” while Soporowski is listed with the slogan “Middletown First Republican.”

The competing slogan lines reflect a divide within the local Republican organization. Clarke and Dudzinski received support at the Monmouth County Republican Committee convention, while Soporowski is running outside that structure.

Clarke has served on the Township Committee since 2021 and was re-elected in 2023. In addition to his role on the committee, Clarke is a volunteer firefighter and serves on the board of the Lincroft Senior Housing Corporation. He is also a principal with Moxie Lighting. His prior running mate, Kimberly Kratz, does not appear on the current candidate list.

This appears to be Dudzinski’s first run for elected office. She is a Middletown resident and currently serves as an Associate Director for the New Jersey Association of Colleges and Universities. Dudzinski recently served on the transition team for Governor Mikie Sherrill and previously worked for former state senator Jennifer Beck, as well as with then-assemblyman, now state senator, Declan O’Scanlon.

Campaign filings for Clarke and Dudzinski list Ronald Gravino as treasurer. Gravino is associated with multiple Republican committees and campaigns in Monmouth County, including the Monmouth County Republican Committee and the Republican Club of Middletown. Current Middletown Mayor Tony Perry lists Gravino as treasurer for his county commissioner campaign.

Board of education member enters the race

Soporowski, a current member of the Middletown Township Board of Education, is a small business owner and was elected to the board in 2024. His candidacy introduces a connection between the Township Committee race and ongoing issues within the school district.

Soporowski has been a vocal opponent of proposals to close district schools as part of efforts to address a budget deficit. His earlier 2023 campaign for the board was marked by political attacks tied to board leadership, which have been the subject of prior reporting.

In social media activity, Soporowski has positioned himself outside the county party structure. In one public post, he wrote: “It is interesting to learn, and frankly very concerning, that not every major decision may have been recommended by the people we entrust to make them. This is what happens when politics comes first.” The following day, campaign filings indicate he submitted a statement of candidacy with the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

That filing lists Zach Myshkoff as treasurer. Myshkoff is a New Jersey political consultant who previously worked with Rich Castaldo on a 2025 state assembly campaign.

Democratic field

On the Democratic side, Jeremy Seideman and Shawn Wallach have filed for the primary, each using the slogan “Official Monmouth County Democratic Organization.” Both Middletown residents, Seidman holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science and Wallach is an attorney. The two previously ran together in the 2025 general election, where they were defeated by incumbents Rick Hibell and Kevin Settembrino.

What happens next

Under New Jersey’s partisan primary system, candidates qualify by submitting nominating petitions to the municipal clerk by the statutory deadline. The June primary determines which candidates advance to the general election ballot within each party.

Election officials will now finalize ballots for the June 2 primary. The winners of each party’s contest will move on to the November general election.

The outcome of the Republican primary will determine whether the Township Committee race reflects the county-backed slate or a candidate running outside the party organization. With a sitting board of education member in the field during an ongoing budget and school-closure debate, the primary result may also shape how those issues intersect with broader township governance in the months ahead.