My name is Sophie Purgavie, and I am honored to be one of the Democratic candidates for Hopewell Township Committee, along with my running mate Michael Ruger.
I moved to Hopewell Township when I was eight years old. I went to Bear Tavern, Timberlane and the High School. I even had a brief stint as the Bulldog mascot. Then I left for college and early adulthood, like many of us do. I spent fifteen years in New York and five in France, where I made a career of building the processes, strategies and relationships that solve complex problems and move organizations forward.
I never stopped being tethered to the Township, and when I returned 8 years ago, I was reminded of just how dynamic Hopewell Township is.
This is a community with a deep respect for its history that has never been afraid to embrace new ideas or rise to new challenges. It is why I chose to raise my family here and it is why I am running. I want to help ensure Hopewell Township stays strong for generations to come, bringing fresh ideas while building on the experienced leadership that has served us so well. Our campaign is built on a simple idea: Respecting our Past, Embracing the Future. Doing both is not a contradiction; it’s the job.
I genuinely believe government exists to improve people’s lives and nowhere is that more tangible than at the local level, where good leadership makes a real difference in ensuring every citizen is safe, supported, and thriving. Local government decides whether the road you drive every morning gets repaved, how fast help arrives when you call 911, what happens to the open fields that surround you, and whether you can afford to stay in the place you call home. I am passionate about ensuring that everyone in Hopewell Township feels we have their back, not because we told them we do, but because their experience proves it.
Here is my commitment to you. I will not have every answer. But I will be tenacious about finding the solutions that are best for our unique community. I will listen first. I will stay relentlessly curious. I will evaluate every issue from all sides and follow the data where it leads. I will tell you what I know, what I do not know, and how I got to my decision, because transparency and open communication are how trust is built and why communities thrive. I will bring integrity, compassion, the lessons of every experience I have been afforded, and the core belief that I am there to represent all of you to every decision I make.
I want to thank Kevin Kuchinski for twelve years of service to this Township. His thoughtful leadership, his commitment to good governance, and his discipline on fiscal responsibility have left Hopewell Township measurably better than he found it. I am excited to carry that legacy forward.
I am also thrilled to be running alongside Michael Ruger. He has served as mayor and deputy mayor and has spent decades investing in this community. Voters deserve both things on the same ticket: experienced leadership that knows how the Township actually works and fresh ideas that keep us moving. That is the balance we offer.
A lot is changing in Hopewell Township and more change is coming. This community has always met the moment. With your support, I intend to help us meet this one too.
I would be grateful for your vote in November.
Sophie Purgavie
Hopewell Township
