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SOUTH BRUNSWICK: Dems sweep local election

By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
   Democrats had a great night in South Brunswick, winning all three Township Council seats, according to election results from the county.
   Incumbent Democrats on the council Joe Camarota and Charles Carley easily won re-election to their seats by getting 10,243 and 10,070 vote’s respectively.
   Newcomer Josephine “Jo” Hochman, a Democrat, won the third seat with 9,550 votes, according to results from the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office.
   ”I am just getting started,” Ms. Hochman told supporters gathered at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9111 on Henderson Road Tuesday night. “What I did is miniscule, thank everyone for the hurricane (relief) effort.”
   The Democratic ticket unseated incumbent Republican John O’Sullivan who received 5,924 votes. The two other Republicans, Michael Kushwara and Paul Saltin garnered 5,337 and 5,163 votes respectively, according to the county’s tally.
   ”The people have spoken,” Mr. O’Sullivan said during a small gathering at his Wexford Drive home in Monmouth Junction after the polls had closed. “They won.”
   Mr. Kushwara was not at the gathering.
   Mr. Saltin said the GOP ticket “ran a good campaign.”
   Democratic Mayor Frank Gambatese said that he felt the township’s reaction dealing with Hurricane Sandy helped cement victory for the two incumbents on the council.
   ”We owe the good job done in this town (during the storm) to the public works department and the police,” Mayor Gambatese said. “We do not know how many motorists and walkers were saved by the job they did closing off roads with power lines all over the place.”
   About 62 percent of the town’s almost 25,000 registered voters cast ballots Tuesday, with the Democratic slate winning all but a few of the 30 voting districts.
   One of those districts, number four, happened to be in a part of the town that has been out of power since the storm came through Oct. 29.
   ”We had a bad showing,” Mayor Gambatese said. “There was no power and no numbers (of voters).”
   Former Township Democratic Party Chairman Charles Carley, re-elected to his seat on the council, said the organization always rises to the occasion during elections.
   ”We have been doing this routine since 1997,” Mr. Carley said. “By hook or crook we find a way to win.”
   Despite the victory, Mr. Camarota said his thoughts were with those in the community still lacking electric service.
   ”It is hard to celebrate when people of South Brunswick are still suffering,” Mr. Camarota said.
   Local elections are held in the township every two years, according to the form of government charter adopted by the community in 1997.
   In the next cycle, residents will vote for one council member and the mayor of the township.
   Debra Johnson became the first directly elected mayor in 1998 and served until Mayor Gambatese won election in 2002. He has served in the post since that time.