BY TOM CAIAZZA
Staff Writer
EDISON – As the deadline passed to file for a spot on the June 5 Democratic primary ballot for four contested council seats Monday, three slates have emerged, ranging from relative newcomers to political veterans.
Mayor Jun Choi announced on Monday that he has put together a slate composed of newcomers to challenge council incumbents Charles Tomaro, Joan Kapitan and Salvatore Pizzi for four-year spots on the Township Council. Council member Peter Barnes III resigned from the council last month to fill his father’s unexpired state Assembly term.
The slate includes Washington Elementary School Principal AnnMarie Griffin-Ussak, information technology consultant Wayne Mascola, Edison Township Education Foundation President Melissa Perilstein, and physician Dr. Sudhanshu Prasad.
Choi said that he chose to support a slate of newcomers because they have no ties or obligations to anyone but the taxpayers of Edison.
“We need elected officials who don’t have ties to irresponsible developers and the special interests to move our community forward,” Choi said. “Politics is broken in Edison. Everyone is compromising themselves by playing along to get along. We need leaders who will fight for the taxpayers of Edison first.”
Choi contended in a press release that the current slate of incumbents have failed to put the taxpayers first in their decision making and that he aims to see the “Spadoro machine” disassembled.
The mayor said that he would serve as the campaign chairman and expects to donate the legal limit of $56,000 from his mayoral war chest to the campaign.
Council President Charles Tomaro, who is up for re-election this election cycle alongside Kapitan and Pizzi, said that he aims to work hard to get his party’s nomination and retain the place on the council he currently occupies.
“We’ll work hard to get re-elected,” Tomaro said of the incumbents running together. “The people that are on the slate have every right to run, and that’s what primaries are for, to get the backing of the Democratic Party.”
Tomaro said that this would be his fourth time running for council and that in that time, he had never experienced a primary challenge.
“It is what it is, and I’m committed to continuing serving Edison Township the way I’ve been serving it,” Tomaro said. “I’ve had a lot of good legislation that has come forward, and would continue to do that. And hopefully the people will see that I have a good record and a record for improving Edison and the quality of life in Edison.”
Tomaro said that he had not thought about whether he was disappointed in the mayor’s choice not to support any of the incumbents in the June primary.
“I’ll keep the personal stuff out of it,” Tomaro said. “I’m going to work hard, that’s all I can say.”
The third slate comes from Bill Stephens, a former council member and 2005 mayoral candidate.
Also on the Stephens slate are District 76 Democratic Committee member Anthony Russomanno, Nilesh Dasondi, and retired Police Officer Richard Westover.
Stephens said that the slate includes both newcomers and veterans who he hopes will seal the rift between both the community and the Democratic Party.
“We really need to take advantage of the diversity,” Stephens said. “There has got to be more than simply appeasing people; it really has to be more of making people part of the process.”
Stephens said that while some of the members of that slate are new, his experience, as well as Russomanno’s experience, will help to alleviate some of what he feels are problems in the township.
“You need to have some experience and you want some new blood, too, and I think we have accomplished that,” Stephens said. “We are diverse in many areas in terms of the type of people we put on, in terms of economic diversity.”
Stephens said that he would like the election to be about what the candidates will do to “help move the township forward,” and not about political name calling or pointing fingers.
“We’re definitely going to take the high road,” Stephens said. “We’re going to talk about issues; we’re going to talk about how to resolve some of these issues.”
While Stephens said that the mayor’s war chest gives that slate an advantage, he is comfortable in his slate’s ability to raise money.
“Yeah, I think he is definitely going to have an advantage, as would the Democratic Party have an advantage,” Stephens said. “But I think we’re going to be able to raise some money, and I think we will be able to put up a competitive campaign.”
“We really need to take advantage of the diversity,” Stephens said. “There has got to be more than simply appeasing people; it really has to be more of making people part of the process.”
Stephens said that while some of the members of that slate are new, his experience, as well as Russomanno’s experience, will help to alleviate some of what he feels are problems in the township.
“You need to have some experience and you want some new blood, too, and I think we have accomplished that,” Stephens said. “We are diverse in many areas in terms of the type of people we put on, in terms of economic diversity.”
Stephens said that he would like the election to be about what the candidates will do to “help move the township forward,” and not about political name calling or pointing fingers.
“We’re definitely going to take the high road,” Stephens said. “We’re going to talk about issues; we’re going to talk about how to resolve some of these issues.”
While Stephens said that the mayor’s war chest gives that slate an advantage, he is comfortable in his slate’s ability to raise money.
“Yeah, I think he is definitely going to have an advantage, as would the Democratic Party have an advantage,” Stephens said. “But I think we’re going to be able to raise some money, and I think we will be able to put up a competitive campaign.”