MANALAPAN – Republican incumbents Susan Cohen and Jack McNaboe have won re-election to three-year terms on the Manalapan Township Committee.
In 2018, the committee will maintain a 4-1 Republican majority.
According to results of the Nov. 7 election posted by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, Cohen and McNaboe were returned to the governing body with 6,049 and 5,672 votes, respectively.
The GOP duo turned back a challenge from Democrats Adam S. Weiss and Amelia Rendeiro, and Libertarian Hisham Hamed. Weiss received 3,877 votes, Rendeiro received 3,864 votes and Hamed received 106 votes, according to the county clerk’s website.
Cohen has served on the committee since 2007, with the exception of 2011. She is serving as Manalapan’s mayor in 2017, after previously serving as mayor in 2012 and 2013.
McNaboe has served on the governing body since 2013. He is a past mayor and is serving as Manalapan’s deputy mayor in 2017.
In a joint statement, Cohen and McNaboe said, “We are honored and humbled by the confidence the voters of Manalapan have shown in our ability to lead this town. The decisive victory shows we are on track to keeping Manalapan a “Great Place to Live” along with the team of Mary Ann Musich, David Kane and Kevin Uniglicht.
“A special thanks to Amelia Rendeiro and Adam Weiss for their class and professionalism in running a clean, issue oriented campaign. The high road was taken by both sides here in Manalapan in a year when dirty politics was played by many.
“Manalapan and the Township Committee are only as good as our diverse volunteers who make up our boards, commissions and committees, our valued employees and our dedicated professionals. We look forward to 2018 and welcome the challenges the new year may bring. Our heartfelt thanks to the entire community for their support,” Cohen and McNaboe said.
In a joint statement, Rendeiro and Weiss said, “We are thankful for the support we received from our friends and neighbors throughout the course of our campaign. Together, we congratulate Susan and Jack on their win and wish them the best of luck. Our commitment to the residents of Manalapan continues and we look forward to being active participants in our wonderful community.”
After making his first bid for public office, Hamed, who is a recent law school graduate, said, “It is not easy running for office, even less so as an independent. However, even having run a small-scale campaign, over 100 Manalapan residents chose Libertarian values over either of the major parties.
“As someone who plans on living in Manalapan for many years to come, I hope this election will encourage the incumbents to stick as closely as possibly to the principles of self-ownership, voluntarism and respect for property rights,” he said.