Polls close at 8 p.m. tonight
By: Courtney Gross
From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. today, New Jersey residents will determine who will be their next U.S. senator, congressional representatives and county and municipal lawmakers several races that could turn the national political tide during the 2006 midterm general election.
For U.S. Senate, Republican Thomas H. Kean Jr. challenges incumbent Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez. Sen. Menendez was selected by Gov. Jon Corzine to fill his Senate seat when he was elected governor last year.
Independent candidates for the contested U.S. Senate seat, a term spanning six years, are: J.M. Carter for the God We Trust ticket; Angela L. Lariscy for the Socialists Workers Party; N. Leonard Smith for Solidarity, Defend Life; Daryl Mikell Brooks for the Poor People’s Campaign ticket; Edward Forchion on the Legalize Marijuana (G.R.I.P) platform; Gregory Pason for the Socialist Party USA; and Len Flynn for the Libertarian Party.
Candidates for the 12th Congressional District, which includes Princeton Township, Princeton Borough, West Windsor and Plainsboro, are incumbent Democratic Rep. Rush Holt and challenging Republican candidate Joseph Sinagra. Congressional terms are for two years.
Rep. Mike Ferguson, Republican congressman from the 7th District that includes Montgomery and Rocky Hill, faces Democratic challenger state Assemblywoman Linda Stender. Independent candidates in the district’s race are Thomas D. Abrams for the Withdraw Troops Now ticket and Darren Young for the Libertarian Party.
In Mercer County, Democratic County Surrogate Diane Gerofsky is seeking a third five-year term and is challenged by Republican Colette Coolbaugh.
Mercer County residents will also decide if the three incumbent Democrats on the Board of Chosen Freeholders deserve another three-year term. Challenging Democrats Ann Cannon, Elizabeth Maher Muoio and Pasquale "Pat" Colavita are Republicans Ashley Hutchinson, Kim Taylor and Marjorie L. Hopwood.
In Somerset County, two three-year terms are up for grabs on the Board of Chosen Freeholders. Republican incumbent Rick Fontana is up for re-election, while Republican Jack Ciattarelli is vying for the board’s vacant seat. Democratic hopefuls are Louise Wilson, Montgomery’s mayor, and Dennis Sullivan.
Two Democratic incumbents, John Pulomena and James H. Polos, are seeking re-election to the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Freeholders. They are challenged by Republicans Geoffrey Champion and Andrew Tidd.
In both Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, Democratic municipal candidates face no Republican challengers. In the borough, Mayor Mildred Trotman is running uncontested to fill the remaining year of the mayoral term vacated following the death of former Mayor Joseph O’Neill.
Councilwomen Peggy Karcher and Wendy Benchley, both incumbent Democrats, are running unopposed for three-year terms, while Democratic Councilwoman Barbara Trelstad is uncontested in the race to serve the remaining two years of a council term vacated by Mayor Trotman.
In Princeton Township, Democratic Committeeman Chad Goerner, who was appointed to the governing body in July, is unchallenged for a three-year term.
In the race for two seats on the Montgomery Township Committee, incumbent Democratic Committeewoman Cecilia Xie Birge is vying for re-election, as is Republican incumbent Mark Caliguire. Challengers are Democrat Brad Fay and Republican Walter Geslak.
In the nonpartisan West Windsor election for one council seat, incumbent Councilwoman Barbara Pfeifer, who filled a vacant seat in June, is facing challenger William Anklowitz.
West Windsor voters will also vote on a single ballot question to cut the open-space tax from 5 cents to 3 cents per $100 assessed valuation and increase the funding cap for maintenance and development of open space from 10 percent to 25 percent.
In Plainsboro, Democratic Township Committee incumbents Deputy Mayor Neil Lewis and Committeewoman Ginger Gold Schnitzer are both running unopposed.
In Rocky Hill, Councilmen Ed Zimmerman, a Republican, and Brad Merritt, an independent, are facing off against each other for mayor.
Two three-year terms are up for grabs on Rocky Hill Borough Council. Republican incumbent Eileen Uhrik is defending her seat, and is joined on the GOP ticket by Mary Regan-Seither. The two are running as a slate with Mr. Merritt, who is listed on the ballot as unaffiliated. Dan Harrington, a Republican, and Bill Hallman, a Democrat, are running on the same slate with Mr. Zimmerman. The three are listed on the ballot with no party affiliation.
Rocky Hill residents will also vote on a ballot question to institute an open space tax of 2 cents per $100 of property valuation.
Voters statewide will face three ballot questions to redirect funding for transportation improvements, maintenance at state parks and historic sites, as well as for property tax relief.
One question, if approved, would allocate half the funds acquired from the state’s one-cent sales tax increase to property-tax relief.
Another would allocate revenue from the corporate business tax toward improvements at state parks, wildlife areas and historic sites.
If approved, the final question would dedicate more funding from the gasoline tax to improve the state’s transportation system.

