ON OR BY JUNE 2nd VOTE:

Shantell Cherry
for Ward 1

"As a lifelong Democrat and a retired U.S. Postal Service employee, I’m running to
make sure the voters of Ward 1 have a strong advocate"

I will be a champion for Ward 1, addressing long-standing concerns including
equitable access to public services, environmental justice and accountability from our elected officials.

About Me

I’ve lived in Piscataway for nearly 30 years and I am committed to building a community that is safe, affordable and responsive to all the people who live here. I understand the challenges facing working families and the opportunities that smart, transparent local leadership can create. I’ve raised six children in Piscataway and I’ve actively participated in community service in that time, including:

Elected four times to the Piscataway Township Board of Education. (I am running for Council in my capacity as a private citizen; I’m not representing the BOE nor am I authorized to do so.)
Chosen by other BOE members as President in 2024 and 2025. In 2026, I was once again selected as Vice-President, an office I held in in 2022 and 2023.• Representing the Piscataway BOE in the NJ School Boards Association DelegateAssembly and as a member of the Resolution Subcommittee member.
Serving on the Educational Services Commission of New Jersey Board of Directors on the Policy and the Finance Committees.
Participating on the DEI Committee for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Monmouth and Middlesex County.
Working on behalf of families and our school community as President of Grandview Elementary School PTO for four years.
Leading the Piscataway Girl Scouts Service Unit as Co-manager, a position I’ve held for almost a decade. I’ve been a Troop Leader with both the Girl Scouts and the Boy Scouts, serving as Treasurer during that time.
Supporting Embrella, New Jersey’s foster care nonprofit 501(c)3 organization that supports children, youth, and families

Request a Lawn Sign

Issues

STAND UP TO TRUMP and refuse to let ICE use our township resources to carry out his agenda. We’ll use our power to help our neighbors and keep us safe. No ICE warehouses in Piscataway!
END DONOR AND DEVELOPER GIVEAWAYS, like sweetheart PILOT deals and warehouse developments, that drain our school resources and shift Piscataway’s taxes to the rest of us. Enough is enough!
MAKE PISCATAWAY AFFORDABLE for working families and seniors by ensuring corporations and billionaires pay their fair share. I will be a local leader for national and state policies, like Medicare for All, that lower costs for us all.
STOP YEARLY PROPERTY TAX REVALS that burden working families and undermine housing affordability for homeowners.
ENFORCE & EXPAND RENT CONTROL and advocate for tenants’ rights; renters deserve to be heard and have safe, secure homes in our communities.
HAVE AN INDEPENDENT ETHICS BOARD so we have real ways to stop nepotism, cronyism and corruption in our local government. For 50 years, Piscataway’s entrenched machine has allowed the Mayor to select the Ethics Board. It’s time to end that loophole.
INSTALL SPEED BUMPS to stop speeding and protect our children and pets; adopt other common-sense solutions to local problems that work in other communities.
USE EMAIL FOR COUNCIL BUSINESS and be accessible and responsive to all residents.My opponent hides from us, using a generic email address council@piscatwaynj.org and often won’t respond in writing. You deserve an accessible, accountable representative!
BE AN INDEPENDENT VOICE for our WARD 1 neighbors and community, and not a rubber stamp for the Mayor’s agenda!