BY ELAINE VAN DEVELDE
Staff Writer
EDISON — The June primary battles for the two party spots for mayor have come and gone.
But independent candidate William Stephens is just getting started.
Stephens announced recently who his four running mates will be when he makes his second run for mayor in the 2005 general election in November.
“I think all these people together are a great group that is truly representative of this community,” said Stephens, who heads the Edison community Association.
One of the candidates is Antonia Ricigliano, of 261 West Hagel Ave. Ricigliano ran with Stephens in the 2001 Democratic primary race when he tried to unseat incumbent Mayor George A. Spadoro.
“I knew Toni would be running with me from the start,” he said. “It has since just been a matter of looking at resumes and screening three others. I had a lot of very qualified people who wanted to run with me.”
The Stephens ticket lost by about 800 votes in 2001.
Both Ricigliano and Stephens have stayed active in community causes. They are attend town meetings and have fought the Wal-Mart slated for Route 27 and Vineyard Road.
Stephens’ three other running mates are Edison political newcomers.
The petition signatures needed to certify the other candidates had not been verified by the township clerk by press time.
But Stephens said the choices had been made, pending verification.
“We wanted to mix the ticket with two Democrats and two Republicans,” Stephens said. “It gives some checks and balances to the ticket. It’s healthy to blend the ticket like that.”
The other three candidates are: Republican Craig S. Prupis, 30 Edgemont Road, a computer specialist in the banking industry; Robert Oras, a Republican and retired Jersey City police officer who lives at 25 Jefferson St. in the Clara Barton section of the township; and Joseph Romano, 55 Avenue C, a truck operator who is also a Teamster union official.
Romano has also been involved in the fight against Wal-Mart.
“Each person really brings their own special quality to the ticket,” Stephens said. “We have representatives of different parties with various professional backgrounds, different personalities and various income levels. It’s a healthy mix that will appeal to and represent all sectors of the community. Edison is diverse, and so is my ticket.”