The race for a vacant Jackson Township Council seat has gained a familiar name, as Councilman Ken Bressi formally entered the contest with the backing of the local Republican Party.
Bressi, a Vietnam veteran and retired U.S. Marine, was appointed earlier this year to fill the seat of the late Councilman Scott Sargent. Last month, the Jackson Republican Club, led by Council Vice President Mordechai Burnstein, unanimously endorsed him to run for a full term. Bressi previously served on Jackson’s planning and zoning boards and has been a fixture in township politics for decades.
“Ken Bressi has the knowledge, experience, and commitment to keep Jackson moving forward,” Burnstein said in a statement announcing the endorsement.
While Bressi enters the race as the establishment Republican candidate, he is not alone in the field. Al Couciero, chief of the Jackson Volunteer First Aid Squad and a fire commissioner, has submitted petitions to run, positioning himself as a candidate seeking to “change the face” of township leadership. Another candidate, Chris Pollak, a longtime out-of-state resident who recently moved to the Prospect Pointe apartment complex in Jackson, has also declared his candidacy.
The election will determine who fills the remainder of the term and help shape the balance of the five-member council.