Election Day is next Tuesday, November 7, and this year’s ballot features two worthy candidates – Fang Gong and Harsh Raju – vying for one open seat on Livingston’s Board of Education. We thank both of these candidates for their willingness to contribute to our community. As past and current members can attest, being part of the Board of Education necessitates a huge time commitment and is a major responsibility. Board members help to shape our town. It can also be quite the thankless job, at times, so we are grateful to see two residents step up to make a difference in Livingston. Both stay-at-home parents who have children in the district’s elementary schools, we applaud Raju and Gong for their willingness to commit themselves to this position.We are also thrilled to once again have a competitive race for the open seat. Contested elections are always beneficial to our town, as it forces candidates to state their opinions on relevant issues, and talk to the voting public to hear their concerns. In turn, many have likely seen Gong and Raju at community events in recent months. Not every town is lucky enough to have enough candidates to fill these positions, yet in Livingston, it rarely seems to be a problem. We applaud their commitments to serve; both appear eager to take on this role. We also want to praise both Raju and Gong for running respectful campaigns that focused on the issues at hand rather than personal attacks; that has not always been a given in recent years.In what we feel is a close race between two upstanding members of the community who have a vested interest in doing what is best for our schools, it may be difficult to choose one candidate over the other. We encourage voters to read their statements in the Tribune over the past few months (they start on the front page of each issue), as well as watch September’s debate, which may be found on the Livingston League of Women Voters Facebook page. Together, they should help residents reach a more informed decision.While we feel both would excel in the role, there is only one Board of Education seat available, and so we must make a choice based on the minor differences between them as candidates. Both have clearly done their homework on the issues affecting the school district, from rising enrollment and retention ...
