MORRIS COUNTY — Freeholder Deb Smith of Denville and John Krickus of Washington Township announced that they are forming a team with former Mountain Lakes Mayor and Councilman Stephen Shaw in the upcoming June Republican Primary for Freeholder. Smith and Krickus made the announcement following former Freeholder Hank Lyon’s decision withdraw from the Freeholder race last Friday.
“We are thrilled to have Stephen Shaw join our team,” said Smith and Krickus. “Our combined track record of conservative leadership is what the Morris County Freeholder Board needs in the years to come to fight back against Phil Murphy and the liberal Democrats in Trenton.”
While touting their record of holding the line on property taxes, reducing county debt by over $50 million, and maintaining a rare triple AAA credit rating, Smith and Krickus praised Shaw’s experience as a 45-year business owner/operator, and his extensive background in land use and planning, economic development, and local government know-how.
“This team will be able to hit the ground running and has a clear vision for how to run Morris County government,” said Shaw, who has served as Vice Chair of the Morris County Open Space Committee and is currently Chairman of the Mountain Lakes Republican County Committee. “Deb, John and I believe in efficient, effective government that lives within its means, just like Morris County families, seniors and business owners do every day.”
Freeholder Smith was a career sales executive with Dun & Bradstreet and her husband Steven owns a small business in Randolph. Deb graduated from Long Island University with a bachelor’s in mathematics and a master’s in counseling. Prior to her election to the Freeholder Board in 2015, Deb served on the Denville Council and as Council President.
Shaw is a 51-year resident of Morris County and owns family-run Shaw Built Homes. He has served as President of the New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA) and President of the Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey. A graduate of New Jersey Institute of Technology; Newark College of Engineering with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering, Stephen is a licensed NJ Real Estate Agent, a licensed private pilot, is married and has two adult children.
Krickus, a former CPA, is currently a product manager at Business Information Services. John served in the Marine Corps Reserves, graduated of Drew University, and earned an MBA from Lehigh University. John lives with his wife Carolyn, and two daughters in Long Valley where he served as Mayor and Committeeman, followed by three years on the Freeholder Board.
