By Andrew Martins, Managing Editor
Democrats Chris Fossel and David Mackie will return to the Hopewell Borough Common Council next year for their second and seventh consecutive terms, respectively.
The two incumbents won their reelection bids for a three-year term on the council in an uncontested race.
Preliminary results from Borough Deputy Clerk Regina Toth report that Mr. Mackie earned 817 votes from the municipality’s two districts, while Mr. Fossel took 803.
“I enthusiastically look forward to helping Hopewell navigate the many challenges on our horizon,” Mr. Fossel said following his win. “We will continue to preserve and enhance our amazing Hopewell Borough.”
Hopewell Borough residents overwhelmingly voted in favor of Secretary Hillary Clinton, the Democratic nominee in the Presidential race, choosing her over Republican candidate Donald Trump by a preliminary tally of 771-252.
Third party candidates Jill Stein and Gary Johnson received 15 and 38 votes, respectively.
In the House of Representatives race, Democrat Bonnie Watson-Coleman bested Republican Steven Uccio at the polls, earning 720 votes to his 262.
Voters decisively turned down Ballot Question No. 1 with 821 ‘no’ votes and 190 ‘yes’ votes. The ballot question asked whether casinos should be constructed and operated in northern parts of the state, such as Jersey City and Hoboken.
Ballot No. 2, however, was approved by borough voters with a final tally of 601-404. That ballot question called for an amendment to the state constitution that would require all funds generated by the recent gas tax hike to go strictly to the Transportation Trust Fund.
Final vote tallies are still coming in and as such, all vote counts are in the preliminary stages.
