BY JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writer
JACKSON — Two Republican and two Democratic candidates clinched their party’s nominations in the June 7 Township Committee primary election. The two slates will now square off in the November election for two three-year terms on the governing body.
In the Republican primary, Committeeman Josh Reilly, who is seeking a second term, received 1,165 votes, while newcomer Ann Updegrave received 1,122 votes.
In the Democratic primary, Committeeman Michael L. Broderick, who is serving as Jackson’s mayor in 2005, received 491 votes. Kevin P. Nerwinski, who is a first-time candidate for elected office, received 432 votes.
Reilly and Nerwinski were unavailable for comment on June 12, but Broderick and Updegrave discussed the results.
“I do think that it was surprisingly a low turnout for a gubernatorial election [year],” Updegrave said. “[Maybe voters] already knew who they were going to go for, but it was [still] quite surprising.”
Updegrave said she could not discuss the Republican platform, which is still being developed. She asserted that the issue of pay-to-play had resonated with registered voters of both parties.
“A lot of voters that I speak to are not happy with the way state and local government is being run right now,” Updegrave said. “I truly do believe, not just because I [recently] became a Republican, that pay-to-play issues have had a tremendous effect on people. That may be why they didn’t go out there and vote.”
In contrast, Broderick said he found that the Democratic primary results were consistent with past voting patterns.
“I anticipated a low voter turnout, I think everybody did,” he said. “More people come out to vote in primaries during a presidential election year. I was actually the first voter in my district at 6:30 a.m. By 2 p.m., only 26 people had voted in that precinct.”
Broderick said residents may have been dissuaded from voting by the lack of a contest among local and state candidates.
“There was no opposition on the local level, there was no opposition on the state level (in the Democratic gubernatorial primary),” he said. “I’m sure we’ll see more turnout in November.”
Democrats presently control the Township Committee with a 3-2 majority. In addition to Broderick and Reilly, the committee includes Democrats Michael Kafton and Sean Giblin, and Republican Mark Seda.
If Broderick and Nerwinski both win in November, the Democrats will hold a 4-1 edge beginning in January.
If Reilly and Updegrave both win, the Republicans will assume a 3-2 majority in 2006.
If voters elect one Republican and one Democrat in November, the Demo-crats will keep their 3-2 Democratic majority on the town’s governing body.