MANALAPAN — On primary day, June 3, voters nominated two Republicans and two Democrats to run for a pair of three-year seats on the Manalapan Township Committee.
It is uncertain if the two Democrats who were nominated last week will be on the November ballot.
Republicans Susan Cohen and Jack Mc- Naboe, who are both serving on the governing body, received 411 and 404 votes, respectively, in the GOP primary.
Democrats Deborah Kurtz and Vincent Pinto received 277 and 275 votes, respectively, in the Democratic primary.
Telephone messages left for Kurtz and Pinto were not returned.
In response to a request from the News Transcript for comment, Monmouth County Democratic Chairman Vin Gopal issued the following statement: “Mr. Pinto and Ms. Kurtz are the current Democratic candidates in Manalapan. Ms. Kurtz and Mr. Pinto have both lived in Manalapan for many years and are very active with the Manalapan Democratic Party.
“Both Mr. Pinto and Ms. Kurtz stepped forward on the ballot back in March because they recognize the importance of presenting the voters with a real choice in November. They have indicated a willingness to being replaced on the ticket if that is the best option for cleaning up Manalapan. We are still in the process of vetting two new candidates.
“The former mayor of Manalapan, Andrew Lucas, has been charged on numerous counts by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for decisions regarding a land deal in Manalapan for which he received taxpayer money, personally profiting, and the all-Republican Manalapan Township Committee supported him 100 percent.
“We believe Manalapan taxpayers should have real choice in November. The Democratic Party, which will be the party that fights for taxpayers in Manalapan, is vetting candidates and we will announce our November ticket shortly,” Gopal said.
This year, Cohen is completing a threeyear term and McNaboe is completing a one-year term on Manalapan’s governing body.
McNaboe was appointed to the committee in early 2013. In November, he won the one-year term to serve for 2014. He is now seeking his first full three-year term.
Cohen served on the committee from June 2007 through December 2010. She was out of office in 2011. Cohen ran for office in November 2011 and won a threeyear term. She returned to the committee in January 2012 and is completing that threeyear term.
In a statement, Cohen and McNaboe said: “We would like to thank the voters of Manalapan for their support of years past and their present support in the June 3 primary. We will continue to work hard to build on our record of fiscal responsibility as we provide quality services that our residents have become accustomed to. We will invest again in our infrastructure and always make public safety a top concern.”
Republicans hold a 5-0 majority on the Township Committee.