By: Sarah Winkelman
Voters will go to the polls Tuesday to decide which Republican and Democratic candidates will battle it out for municipal governing body seats in the November general elections. The following is a breakdown, by municipality, of those local candidates running in next week’s primaries.
Allentown
Uncontested June primaries mean the November general election will feature two Republicans and one Democrat vying for two open seats on the Allentown Borough Council.
In the mayoral race, Democrat Bill Soodul is running unopposed for his party’s nomination in Tuesday’s primary. He will face Republican Mayor Stu Fierstein, who has served as mayor for the past 12 years, this fall.
Republican council incumbents Jerry Rovner and Dan Wimer are running unopposed for their party’s nomination for the two three-year seats on the council. They will be challenged on Nov. 4 by Stephanie Smith, who is the lone Democrat running in her party’s primary.
Mayor Fierstein said he’s entering the mayoral race for the fourth time because he feels strongly about working to limit development in communities outside Allentown’s borders.
Mr. Rovner, a business consultant, was appointed to the council in February after former Councilman Peter Pantages resigned. He said he’s running for re-election because he, too, wants to prevent encroaching development.
Mr. Rovner also is running in the Republican primary for a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly representing the 30th Legislative District. He said he will retain his council position if elected to both governing bodies.
Mr. Wimer served for the first six years of the 1990s and then joined the council again in 2000. He said he enjoys Allentown’s small-town feel and hopes to preserve it.
The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m., with District 1 voting at the Vocational Technical Building at Allentown High School and District 2 at the United Methodist Church on Church Street.
Washington
Three candidates are seeking their party’s nomination for two spots on the Township Committee in next week’s primary elections.
Republican incumbents Jack Mozloom and Cathy St. John will be unopposed in the GOP primary. Both were endorsed by the township’s Republican Party. Larry Schneider is the lone Democrat running in his party’s primary.
Deputy Mayor St. John is running for her second three-year term on the committee. A nine-year resident of Washington Township, she was originally elected to the committee in 2000.
Mr. Mozloom said that if re-elected he wants to dedicate his efforts to recruiting businesses into Washington Township to achieve his goal of easing residents’ property tax burden. Mr. Mozloom, a 10-year township resident, has been on the committee since he was appointed to fill a seat left open in 1999 when Committeeman Dick Folsom died. Mr. Mozloom was later elected to the committee in 2000.
The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Districts 1 and 3 will vote at the Pond Road Middle School and Districts 2 and 6 will vote at the Washington Township Senior Center in the municipal complex. District 4 votes at the Rose Hill Community Room, District 5 at the firehouse on Route 130 and District 7 at the municipal building.
Plumsted
The Township Committee primaries will see a pair of uncontested races.
Republican incumbents Joe Przywara and Bonnie Quesnel will seek re-election to their fourth terms in November, while Democratic challengers Mitch Geier and former Committeeman Bob Knause look to unseat them.
This primary marks the first time in several years that the township’s Democrats have garnered the backing of the Ocean County Democratic Club.
Mr. Przywara, director of the Ocean County Health Department, said he decided to run again because he wants to remain part of the township’s "very cohesive government." Mr. Przywara said he stands behind his record of public service that, at least so far, has not brought forth anyone telling him he’s doing a bad job.
Likewise, Ms. Quesnel, an administrative assistant for the New Hanover School District, said she credits her familiarity with Plumsted, its people, its goals and its government with her part in the township’s accomplishments.
Mr. Geier, owner of CECG Inc., a computer consulting firm, said he is running because, "I think I can do a better job for the township than is being presently done."
A second-time candidate for Township Committee, Mr. Geier said he would like to bring a sense of integrity to Plumsted government.
Mr. Knause, a retired investigator for the state Department of Environmental Protection and one-time deputy mayor for the township, said he too dislikes the way Plumsted government is being run. Mr. Knause said the Township Committee, despite its message, has exhibited poor planning. He said his major grievance is that while the tax rate remains stable year after year, taxes continue to rise because of reassessments and larger budgets.
Mr. Knause added that he wants to fix local problems before the area and, eventually, the state becomes a place where no one but the rich could survive.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Districts 1 and 4 will vote at the New Egypt Firehouse, District 2 at the New Egypt First Aid Squad and District 3 at Jensen’s Deep Run on Route 537.
Millstone
The primaries feature a pair of contested races for the nominations for two open Township Committee seats.
Incumbents Cory Wingerter, a Republican, and Charles Abate, a Democrat, will vie to maintain their seats. Former Environmental Commissioner and 2002 committee candidate Nancy Grbelja, a Republican, and campaign newcomers Elias Abilheira, also a Republican, and David Lee, a Democrat, seek their first committee terms.
Ms. Grbelja will seek to unseat Mr. Wingerter and represent the Republican Party in the November election. Ms. Grbelja was one of two Republican candidates last year who sought to unseat then-Mayor Evan Maltz and Committeeman Bill Nurko, but she and running mate Roger Staib lost to Mr. Nurko and Chet Halka, both Democrats.
Ms. Grbelja and her running mate, Elias Abilheira, a senior partner at Abilheira & Ferrara, P.C., a Freehold-based law firm, said they are running to represent the interests of the residents of Millstone. Mr. Abilheira has never served on any municipal committees or boards, but said he is qualified because of his legal background, which includes his admission to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Ms. Grbelja and Mr. Abilheira are the officially endorsed candidates of the Monmouth County Republican Committee. Mr. Abate is seeking his 11th term and Mr. Lee is seeking his first.
Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. District 1 can vote at the community center on Stagecoach Road, District 2 at the municipal building and Districts 3, 4, 5 and 6 can vote at the elementary school on Schoolhouse Road.
Upper Freehold
Three candidates are vying for the Republican nomination for one open seat on the Township Committee in Tuesday’s primary.
Committeeman Paul Burke is trying to retain his three-year seat, while two first-time challengers, Sal Diecidue and Steve Alexander, look to unseat him. No Democrats have filed for the primary.
Mr. Diecidue, a mechanical engineer with Highlander Associates in New York, said he decided to run out of a sense of duty. Mr. Diecidue has emphasized a desire to protect Upper Freehold’s county code, mainly regarding proper roadway designs and building ordinances.
Mr. Alexander, an attorney for Cherry Hill-based Frey, Petrakis, Deeb, Blum, Briggs and Mitts and a U.S. Air Force Reserve officer, said he is running because of his firm belief in public service. He said the ongoing battle between Upper Freehold and the Matrix development group encouraged him to run for a position that could keep Upper Freehold from falling victim to bad development and growth.
The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. District 1 will vote at the municipal building on Route 539, Districts 2 and 4 at the Allentown First Aid Squad building on Route 526 and District 3 at the Hope Fire Company on Route 526.

