In a year expected to favor Democratic candidates, Borough Council candidate Lou Fischer was the only Democrat to carry a race in Manville.
Mr. Fischer’s 1,495 votes topped all council candidates, followed by Republican Steve Szabo with 1,441. Mr. Fischer’s election will give Democrats control of the council when he is sworn in in January.
”It hasn’t sunk in yet I’m so overjoyed,” Mr. Fischer said. “I’m happy the people of Manville put their trust and confidence in me.”
“It’s feel’s great,” Mr. Szabo said. “I was nervous because it was kind of close.”
Mr. Szabo congratulated Mr. Fischer and Mr. Skirkanish for running a “clean campaign.”
Republican Kathryn Quick lost in her bid for re-election, garnering 1,171 votes.
Democrat Ron Skirkanish received 1,329 votes in his first bid for a council seat, while independent Richard Onderko collected 817 votes.
A total of 3,441 voters 67 percent voted today.
Other than Mr. Fischer, Manville voters went Republican, giving John McCain an edge in the presidential race, 1,765 to Barack Obama’s 1,555; choosing Dick Zimmer over Sen. Frank Lautenberg 1,560 to 1,423; and Leonard Lance over Linda Stender, 1,474 to 1,221, in the race for the 7th Congressional District.
In the race for two seats on the Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Manville voters went for incumbent Republicans Peter Palmer and Bob Zaborowski, with 1,530 and 1,494 votes respectively, over Democrats Cecilia Birge, with 1,441 votes, and Douglas Singleterry’s 1,476 votes.
Manville voters liked the ballot question seeking to require voter approval for bonds, giving the question a 1,201 to 1,125 edge; the second question giving some municipalities authority to hire municipal judges for regionalized municipal courts was not as successful in town with 1,345 voters saying no, to 952 yes votes.
For more on the election results, check Thursday’s Manville News.

