SOUTH AMBOY – Anthony Conrad, Shannon Gonzalez and Patrick Walsh were unofficially elected to three-year terms on the South Amboy Board of Education.
According to election results from Middlesex County, Walsh received 792 votes, Conrad received 571 votes and Gonzalez received 448 votes. Other candidates in the race were Jessica Collaci, who received 442 votes, Joan Conway, who received 439 votes, and Thomas Kross, who received 381 votes. The election results are unofficial until the county certifies them.
The six candidates ran for the terms of Board President Janet Kern and board members Kevin Riley and Philip Smith, whose terms expire in January. None of the incumbents filed to run for re-election.
After the results were announced, Conrad addressed her election to the board.
“I would like to thank all who supported me and congratulate Patrick Walsh and Shannon Gonzalez on their election. I look forward to working with the other board members, administration, faculty and parents for better results in our district,” he said.
“I would like to thank the community of South Amboy for their support,” Gonzalez said.
Walsh also thanked everyone who turned out to vote.
“I look forward to getting to work as a Board of Education member and acting on my ideas as well as the ideas of the people I have met this past weekend. Going door to door was an amazing experience and the ideas of the people in our town are incredible. As a board member, I want to be transparent and fight for the ideas and agendas of not only myself but for the parents and members of our community. It’s important that the Board of Education and community work closely together in order to continue to improve our growing school system. I look forward to helping our students become the best version of themselves they can be.
“Also, congratulations to Shannon Gonzalez and Anthony Conrad on being elected to the board as well. I look forward to working with both of them to improve our schools. Thank you to everyone that helped me campaign and for everyone that supported me. This opportunity and platform wouldn’t be possible without all of you. Thank you to everyone for your passion for the school system, your constant and historic dedication to this town, and for those who voted,” he said.
The new board members will be sworn in at the board’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 2.