No surprises in local June primaries.
By Ruth Luse
On Tuesday, primary election day, the majority of the Valley’s Republican voters supported Doug Forrester (Regular Organization Republican), a resident of nearby Princeton Junction, as the GOP’s candidate for governor in the Nov. 8 general election.
Hopewell Township gave Mr. Forrester 410 votes. Hopewell Borough added 50 and Pennington, 50.
The next highest vote-getter was Bret D. Schundler (Bret 2005) of Jersey City, who polled 198 in Hopewell Township; 23 in Hopewell Borough and 25 in Pennington.
John Murphy (New Republican Leadership for New Jersey) of Morristown was next in Hopewell Borough and Pennington with 9 and 11 respectively. Steven M. Lonegan (Republicans for Conservative Leadership) of Bogota got 58 in Hopewell Township, 6 in Pennington and 5 in Hopewell Borough.
Mr. Forrester will meet Democrat Jon S. Corzine (current member of the U.S. Senate and the Regular Democratic Organization candidate) in November. He lives in Hoboken.
Sen. Corzine polled 218 in Hopewell Township; 59 in Hopewell Borough and 54 in Pennington.
The other candidates on the Democratic side of Tuesday’s ballot Francis X. Tenaglio (New Jersey Healthcare Plan) of Haddon Township, and James Kelly Jr. (Reduce Property Taxes) of Chester received a few votes in each town Tuesday.
In Hopewell Township, where there will be a race in November for two open Hopewell Township Committee seats (three-year terms), the two Democrats, incumbent Vanessa Sandom of 9 Harbourton Ridge Drive and John T. Murphy Jr. (member of the township’s Planning Board) of 9 New Road, received 202 votes each
For the Republicans, incumbent Arlene Kemp of 2370 Pennington Road and Daniel McKee of 206 Watkins Road, polled 531 and 547 votes respectively.
In Hopewell Borough, where there will be no race for the two seats (three-year terms) open on Hopewell Borough Council, incumbent Republicans Schuyler Morehouse of 1 E. Prospect St. and Robert Lewis of 114 W. Broad St. polled 75 and 76 votes respectively.
No Democrats filed for the primary.
In Pennington Borough, where no Republicans filed for the primary, incumbent Democrats James Lytle of 18 Laning Ave. and Edwin Weed Tucker of 92 Woolsey Court polled 46 and 49 respectively. Two Pennington Borough Council seats (three-year terms) will be filled in November.
On the Mercer County level, there was no primary race for sheriff (three-year term). The Regular Organization Republican candidate, Paul K. Lagana of Hamilton Township, received 698 votes from Hopewell Valley. The Regular Democratic Organization candidate, Kevin C. Larkin of Hamilton Township, got 328 from Hopewell Valley.
For the job of Mercer County clerk (five-year term), there was no primary race. The Regular Organization Republican candidate, incumbent Catherine "Cathy" DiCostanzo of Hamilton Township, got 743 from Hopewell Valley. The Regular Democratic Organization candidate, Paula Sollami Covello of Lawrenceville, polled 330 in Hopewell Valley.
For the two open Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders seats (three-year terms), the two Regular Organization Republican candidates, Joseph D’Angelo of Hamilton Township and Sylvester Bobby Bryant of Trenton, received 664 and 646 votes respectively in the Valley. For the Bret 2005 party, candidate Ira L. Marks of Lawrenceville got 132 from the Valley.
The two Regular Democratic Organization incumbents Tony Mack of Trenton and Lucy Walter of Ewing got 314 and 322 from the Valley.
For the New Jersey General Assembly (15th District), there were no contests Tuesday for the two open seats (two-year terms). Regular Organization Republican candidates, Thomas Mavis of Princeton and Robert McCready of Trenton, polled 683 and 692 respectively in Hopewell Valley.
For the Regular Democratic Organization, incumbents, Reed Gusciora of Princeton and Bonnie Watson Coleman of Ewing, polled 326 and 329 in Hopewell Valley.