Voters in the 16th Legislative District returned the three GOP incumbents to Trenton Tuesday.
By Charles W. Kim, Managing Editor
BRIDGEWATER — Voters in the 16th Legislative District returned the three GOP incumbents to Trenton Tuesday.
State Sen. Christopher “Kip” Bateman, Assemblymen Jack Ciattarelli and Donna Simon easily won reelection in the Nov. 5 polling.
”It feels great,” Mr. Ciattarelli said at the Somerville Elk’s lodge in Bridgewater Tuesday night. “It feels great because we worked really, really hard and brought a solutions oriented message to the people.”
Sen. Bateman defeated Democratic challenger Christian Mastondrea 33,469-20,033, according to the unofficial results from the four counties in the district.
Mr. Ciattarelli garnered 31,950 votes, Ms. Simon won 31,395 votes with Democratic challengers Marie Corfield getting 24,884 votes and running mate Ida Ochoteco taking 23,484 votes, according to the unofficial results from each of the county clerks.
The 6,511-vote gap between Ms. Simon and Ms. Corfield is the largest in the last three years since the district was reconfigured following the 2010 census.
The 16th District covers Branchburg Township, Hillsborough Township, Manville Borough, Millstone Borough, Montgomery Township, Rocky Hill Borough and Somerville Borough in Somerset County; Delaware Township, Flemington Borough, Raritan Township, Readington Township and Stockton Borough in Hunterdon County; Princeton Borough and Princeton Township in Mercer County; and South Brunswick Township in Middlesex County.
The reconfiguration added Princeton and South Brunswick, which are both primarily Democratic leaning towns, gaining an estimated 5,000 Democratic voters to what was a Republican stronghold district.
In the first race in 2011, Mr. Ciattarelli won his first two-year term with the late Peter Biondi, a longtime assemblyman from Hillsborough.
Ms. Corfield and South Brunswick Councilman Joe Camerota, a Democrat, lost by about 2,000 votes.
Mr. Biondi died just two days following that election leaving his seat open.
Ms. Simon, a Republican, was appointed to fill seat at a special Republican convention in Hillsborough in February.
She then ran last year for the remaining year on the term against Ms. Corfield.
Ms. Simon narrowly won that election by around 1,000 votes.
This year, however, the GOP ticket won easily, taking about a 2-1 advantage out of Hunterdon and Somerset counties.
Despite losing in both Democratic towns, the margin propelled the team to victory.
”I am overwhelmed and very appreciative to the voters of (the district),” Ms. Simon said. “Integrity and honest principles prevailed.”
Both assembly incumbents said they were “humbled” by the support of the voters and would be working hard to address the concerns of the district.
Representatives from the Corfield campaign could not be reached for comment as of Thursday.