LAWRENCE:No local primary eletion surprises

By Lea Kahn
   With no contests for the nomination to run for a raft of municipal, county and state elected offices, there were no surprises when the votes were tallied after the polls closed in the Republican and Democratic party primaries Tuesday.
   The vote tallies reflect the number of ballots cast for a candidate by Lawrence Township’s registered Democrats and Republicans. They do not include the total number of ballots cast for candidates for county and state elected offices by voters in Mercer County and the 15th Legislative District.
   At the municipal level, voters chose three candidates to run for the three available seats on Township Council. The seats held by incumbent Council members Bob Bostock, Pam Mount and Michael Powers are at stake. Mr. Bostock and Ms. Mount are not running for re-election.
   Democratic incumbent Councilman Michael Powers received 514 votes, and his running mates — newcomers Cathleen M. Lewis and David C. Maffei — received 486 votes and 479 votes, respectively. Republican candidates Falk Engel, Colette Coolbaugh and Kyle Collins got 211 votes, 207 votes and 206 votes, respectively.
   In the primary for three seats on the Mercer County Board of Freeholders, there were no surprises as the three Democratic and three Republican nominees captured their respective parties’ approval, clearing the way for them to square off in November.
   Incumbent Democratic Freeholders Lucylle R.S. Walter, of Ewing Township, and John A. Cimino, of Hamilton Township, earned 511 votes and 506 votes, respectively, to run for a full term. Incumbent Democratic Freeholder Samuel T. Frisby Sr., of Trenton, got 516 votes to run for an unexpired term.
   On the other side of the aisle, Z. Dion Clark, of Trenton, and David G. Maher, of Hamilton, got 213 votes and 210 votes, respectively, to run for the two available freeholder seats as Republicans. James V. Castelize III, of Ewing Township, earned 212 votes to run for an unexpired term on the Republican Party ticket.
   In the primary race for Mercer County executive, incumbent Democratic County Executive Brian Hughes received 538 votes and Republican Party candidate Jonathan C. Savage got 214 votes. Mr. Hughes lives in Princeton Township and Mr. Savage lives in Ewing Township.
   For Mercer County sheriff, Acting Sheriff John A. Kemler got 520 votes to run as a Democrat and Richard Urbani received 217 votes for the Republican Party nomination. Both men live in Hamilton Township.
   Incumbent Mercer County Surrogate Diane Gerofsky, who lives in Lawrence, earned 526 votes in the Democratic Party primary, and Republican Party nominee Lisa Richford, of Hamilton Township, got 207 votes.
   In the primary contest for the state Assembly in the 15th Legislative District, incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and incumbent Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson-Coleman earned 527 votes and 516 votes, respectively. Republican Party candidates Peter M. Yull, of Trenton, and Kathy Kilcommons, who lives in Lawrence, got 213 votes and 212 votes, respectively.
   And in the primary contest for the state Senate in the 15th Legislative District, Democratic incumbent State Sen. Shirley K. Turner, who lives in Lawrence, received 541 votes and Republican Party nominee Donald Cox, of Ewing Township, got 215 votes.