Lempert announces mayoral run

Lempert was elected deputy mayor of Princeton Township in January after serving on the Township Committee for the past three years. Lempert worked on the team that developed last year’s budget, which featured no tax increases. She has also been an advocate for environmental issues, spearheading a project to acquire and preserve land along the Princeton Ridge.

Lempert was also an early proponent of consolidation, noting that if consolidation worked well in Princeton it could serve as an example for the state of New Jersey.

“I want to make sure consolidation works well for all residents,” Lempert said in a press release. “If we do it right, we’ll be a model for others — a fitting role for a town with such a renowned history.”

Township Mayor Chad Goerner, who recently announced he would not be running for mayor of Princeton, has endorsed Lempert. She also has earned the support of Borough Councilwoman Heather Howard and Township Committeeman Lance Liverman.

As of press time, no other candidates had officially entered the race. Current Borough Mayor Yina Moore '79 could not be reached for comment.

Former Republican candidate for Borough Mayor Jill Jachera, who said she is considering running for mayor of Princeton, said she had little to say about Lempert.

“I respect anyone who is willing to put themselves out there and run for office,” she said.

Lempert, whose husband is psychology professor Ken Norman, recused herself from the Township Committee’s November vote on the University’s proposed Arts & Transit Neighborhood due to a conflict of interest. She did say, however, that she was supportive of parts of the project.

“The Arts part of the Arts and Transit neighborhood will be a tremendous cultural boon to our town,” Lempert said in an email. “The Transit component has advantages and disadvantages. Of course I’d prefer the station to remain in its current location, but the town stands to benefit from the $100 million of transportation improvements.”

The University recently announced the hiring of an architect for the Arts and Transit project. Going forward, Lempert said that she does not expect her connection to the University to create significant conflicts of interest and noted that several mayors with similar personal connections have served successfully.

Lempert said she hoped to continue the “generally respectful, productive” relationship the Township Committee has had with the University for the past three years.

“We have a lot of interests that align — from providing safe routes for bicyclists through town to making sure we have enough volunteer firefighters to respond to emergencies,” she said.

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“I also hope students will feel a part of the larger Princeton community for the four years they spend on campus and find ways to contribute their many talents,” she added.

Lempert worked with College Democrats during the 2008 Obama campaign as co-chair of Mercer County for Obama, which had 3,500 members. She moved to Princeton in 2002. Prior, Lempert worked in science journalism as an editor and producer for National Public Radio’s environmental news program, “Living on Earth,” for over a decade. Before her career in journalism, she worked for several years as an engineer in Silicon Valley and Boston.

Lempert, whose two children attend Princeton public schools, is a founding member of the public school advocacy group Save Our Schools–NJ. She also serves on the executive board of the Friends of the Princeton Public Library.

She is currently the mayor’s appointee to the Regional Planning Board and serves on the Joint Finance Committee, the Citizens Finance Advisory Committee, the Environmental Commission, the Joint Pedestrian and Bike Committee and the Traffic Safety Committee.