David Crabiel

David B. Crabiel (June 19, 1930 – December 1, 2008) was an American Democratic Party politician who served as countywide elected official in Middlesex County, New Jersey for 27 years. He was the youngest brother of J. Edward Crabiel, a former New Jersey Senate Minority Leader and New Jersey Secretary of State.

He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was an undertaker and owned The Crabiel Home for Funerals in Milltown.

Crabiel was elected to the Milltown Borough Council in 1960, and was re-elected in 1963 and 1966. He was elected Mayor in 1967 and was re-elected in 1970, 1973, and 1976.

In 1974, Crabiel challenged ten-term Congressman Frank B. Thompson, Jr. in the 4th district Democratic primary. He lost 11,317 (65%) to 6,063 (35%).

He was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Middlesex County Board of Freeholders in 1978. He was elected in 1979, and re-elected in 1982, 1985, and 1988.

In 1986, Crabiel was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 12th district. He lost to four-term Republican incumbent Jim Courter, 72,966 (63.5%) to 41,967 (36.4%).

Crabiel was defeated for re-election to a sixth term as Freeholder in the Republican landslide of 1991. He was again elected in 1994, and re-elected in 1997, 2000, 2003 and 2006. He died in office, after winning his biggest election victory in November, 2008