In Pennington, Republican James Benton and Democrat Tony Persichilli will go for mayor’s post in November
By John Tredrea
Recently retired Hopewell Township Police Chief Michael Chipowsky, a Republican, and Democratic incumbent David Sandahl are heading toward a Nov. 7 showdown for the open Township Committee seat. Each will run unopposed in his party’s primary election June 6.
Pennington also will have no contested primary races, but challengers will vie against incumbents in November for the office of mayor and two open council seats.
There won’t be any contested primary races this year in Hopewell Borough, where only two Republicans filed for two open seats.
Just over a month after retiring as chief of the Hopewell Township police after 35 years with the department, Mr. Chipowsky is seeking the open three-year term on the Township Committee. He lives on Bear Tavern Road.
On the Democratic primary ballot is Mr. Sandahl, the incumbent committeeman, who filed a petition before the 4 p.m. Monday deadline. Mr. Sandahl, who lives on Dublin Road, is serving as deputy mayor.
In Pennington, Republican James Benton, a Kings Court resident who was appointed as mayor last month after Jim Loper resigned, will be on the GOP primary ballot for borough mayor, and Democrat Tony Persichilli is running for the Democratic primary nod.
Mr. Persichilli, who lives on Baldwin Street, is a borough councilman.
In November, Pennington voters will choose one of these men to serve as mayor for the remainder of Mr. Loper’s unexpired term, which ends Dec. 31, 2007.
For Borough Council in the primary, there will be two Democratic incumbents and two Republican challengers running in the respective party’s primaries for the two open seats. Both seats are for three-year terms. The Democrats are Joseph Lawver of Burd Street and Eileen Heinzel of Hale Street. The Republicans are Rachel Donington Torpey of Burd Street and Cosmo Iacavazzi, of East Curlis Avenue.
In Hopewell Borough, Republican incumbents David Knights and Mark Samse, both of Broad Street, will be on the GOP primary ballot for the two open seats (three-year terms) on council. No Democrats filed petitions for the council seats.
On the Mercer County level, there will be no contested races on June 6.
For county surrogate, incumbent Democrat Diane Gerofsky of Lawrence Township is the Democratic primary candidate for the five-year term. The Republican primary candidate is Collette Coolbaugh, also of Lawrence.
On the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders-level, June 6 ballots will feature candidates for three open seats (three-year terms). Democratic candidates will be incumbent Elizabeth Maher Muoio of Pennington, Ann M. Cannon of Hightstown and Pasquale Colavita of Lawrence.
Republicans are Ashley Bostic-Hutchinson of Hightstown, Kim Taylor of Lawrence and Marjorie Lynn Hopwood of Ewing.

