No contests in Hopewell Valley’s June 3 primary elections

There will be a few contests involving Democrats and Republicans in the November general election.

By John Tredrea
   There will be no contested primary elections in Hopewell Valley on June 3, but there will be a few contests between Democrats and Republicans in the November general election.
   Monday — the deadline day for filing petitions to run in the June 3 primary election — saw two of Hopewell Valley’s mayors throw their hats in the ring once again. The third mayor, George Padgett of Hopewell Borough, is not seeking re-election.
   In Hopewell Township, incumbent Mayor Francesca Bartlett, a Democrat, is running unopposed in her party’s primary as she seeks to keep her seat on the Township Committee for three more years.
   Hopewell Township voters do not select mayors. Ms. Bartlett was selected this year by her fellow Township Committee members to serve as mayor. Each January, the five-member governing body chooses one of its members to serve as mayor for a one-year term.
   Thomas W. Kelly III filed as the Republican primary candidate for the one open Township Committee seat now occupied by Ms. Bartlett.
   In Pennington and Hopewell boroughs, the mayors are elected directly by voters in the November general elections and serve four-year terms.
   In Pennington, Republican incumbent Mayor Jim Loper filed a petition and is running unopposed in the GOP primary. Councilman Robert Di Falco, a Democrat, also filed a petition to run for mayor in his party’s primary.
   Incumbent Nancy Ross and Rebecca Palder, both Democrats, filed petitions to run for two open Pennington Borough Council seats. There are no candidates in the Republican primary for those seats.
   The two Pennington Borough Council seats, which are for three-year terms, are currently held by Ms. Ross and Mr. Di Falco, who has opted to try for the mayor’s job instead of trying to keep his council seat.
   In Hopewell Borough, Councilman David Nettles, a Democrat, has filed to run for mayor in the primary. No Republicans filed a petition to run in the GOP primary for mayor.
   Incumbent Councilman David Knights and Marc Moran, both Republicans, filed petitions to run for two seats (three-year terms) on council. One of those seats is currently held by Mr. Knights. The other seat is held by Mr. Nettles, who is running for the mayor’s job instead of another term on the Borough Council.