Manville Democratic Club Announces 2026 Candidates

Manville -- The Manville Democratic Club is proud to announce Melissa Palfy Bellamy and Christine Abood will be the 2026 Democratic candidates for Borough Council.

Melissa Palfy Bellamy was raised in the Borough of Manville, attending Christ the King School and Manville High School. She grew up watching her parents, Al and Anne Palfy, dedicate themselves to making the Borough a wonderful place to live and grow up. Al was a Borough Council member and then Mayor for six years in the 1970s where one of his proudest achievements was helping obtain grant funding to build the public library. Anne was a Cub Scout leader, active in the PTA, and a long-time member of the Manville Rescue Squad Auxiliary. Her parents' examples of community service guided her professional and personal life.

For the past two years, Melissa has been a member of the Recreation Commission and volunteers at various events throughout each year. As the Deputy Coordinator of the Manville Municipal Alliance Committee (MAC), she wrote the current five-year plan and helped reorganize this committee that addresses the dangers of substance abuse in the community and qualifies the Borough to receive grant funding from the county.

Melissa has worked in municipal and county government for over 30 years. She has been employed by Middlesex County since 2006 and is currently the Division Head of the Division of Housing, Community Development and Social Services and serves as the Executive Director of the Middlesex County Public Housing Agency. Her division has a budget of over $11M annually in federal, state and county funds and she manages a dozen staff members. Through this work she interacts with municipal staff and elected officials, state and federal agencies, and residents. She believes that government is at its best when it is efficiently and effectively serving the public and always looks to improve how services are provided within the different program parameters.

Melissa is a lifelong New Jersey resident, receiving her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from The College of New Jersey and a Master of Public Administration from Kean University. She also was a participant in a semester long Data Driven Decision Making seminar facilitated by the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government -- Government Performance Lab through a grant from the NJ Department of Community Affairs.

She is a communicant of St. Joseph Church in Bound Brook, where she serves as a lector. She is also active in her husband Keith's church, Bound Brook Presbyterian Church, including leading youth mission trips to repair homes in Appalachia and playing in their Handbell Choir. Other volunteer work includes assisting at local food pantries and with HOME of Somerset County.

She decided to run for Borough Council because she believes her work experience, education and commitment to service can help Manville meet its challenges, while still maintaining the Borough as a great place to live for its residents of all ages both now and in the near future.

Christine Abood is a lifelong Manville resident and the fourth generation of her family to live in this town. She comes from a blue-collar family that built their lives here through hard work and dedication. Her grandparents worked for the infamous Johns-Manville, and her father, Aaron (Ernie), owned a local auto body shop in town for many years. She understands, like many of our town's people, that nothing is handed to you.

Christine is also the daughter and granddaughter of service members, which instilled in her a deep love for our country and a strong respect for those who serve and protect it.

Today, she is raising her own four children here. Her kids attend Manville schools, and one is now in college. Their lives are deeply rooted in this small town. And Christine has also recently added a new title to her name: Grandma. In just a few short weeks, she will be completing her nursing degree because she truly want to make a difference in people’s lives. Nursing has strengthened her belief in protecting the vulnerable and helping people feel safe and supported during some of their most difficult life moments.

Her qualifications come not from politics, but from service and involvement within the community. She has been a longtime animal rescuer and advocate, always believing in speaking up for those who cannot speak for themselves. Christine currently serves as the President of the Nursing Association at Raritan Valley Community College, where she is involved in several community service projects and partnerships that support people in need. Most importantly, her greatest qualifications are my deep love for this town and her commitment to its future.

In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors in nature, walking on local trails, spending park days with her kids, and visiting historical locations. She has always loved and appreciated history, believing that the history of a place matters because it tells the story of the people who built it.

Christine is not a career politician. She is a mom raising her family here, just like so many of you. She understands the everyday concerns of our residents because she lives them too. She remembers what Manville was like growing up. She witnessed many changes over the years, and she believes strongly in its potential moving forward.

Christine brings to the table the ability to listen, think critically, assess situations with a fresh set of eyes, and work toward practical solutions that bring people together rather than deepen divides. She looks forward to meeting many of you and giving you the chance to get to know the person behind the campaign.