Hopewell Valley voters will go to the polls Nov. 6 to choose candidates for elected office – from municipal officials and school board members to federal, state and county offices.
Polling locations in Hopewell Borough, Hopewell Township and Pennington will be open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
At the local level, Hopewell Borough voters will be asked to choose from among three candidates for two seats on the Borough Council. Democratic Party nominees Samara McAuliffe and Debra Stuhler and Republican Party nominee Mark Bovenizer are competing for the two seats. The term is for three years.
In Hopewell Township, voters will choose between incumbent Township Committeewoman Julie Blake, a Democrat, and Edward M. Jackowski III, the Republican Party nominee. The term is for three years.
In Pennington, incumbent Borough Councilwoman Deborah L. Gnatt and her running mate, Elizabeth Semple Rosenblatt, are running unopposed for three-year terms on the Borough Council. Both are Democrats.
There are three seats up for grabs on the Hopewell Valley Regional School District Board of Education – two seats earmarked for Hopewell Township and one for Pennington. Hopewell Borough and Pennington have one seat each on the nine-member school board.
Hopewell Township voters will choose from among Arleen Curran, Deborah “Debbie” Linthorst and Debra M. O’Reilly for two seats.
Incumbent board member Joanna “Jenny” Long is running unopposed to represent Pennington on the school board.
The three seats on the school board each carry a three-year term.
At the top of the ballot, U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Party nominee Bob Hugin for a six-year term in the U.S. Senate to represent New Jersey.
Although attention has been focused on Menendez and Hugin, six more candidates are listed on the ballot – Tricia Flanagan, Hank Schroeder, Madelyn P. Hoffman, Kevin Kimple, Natalie Lynn Rivera and Murray Sabrin.
In the 12th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, a Democrat, is being challenged by Republican Party nominee Daryl Kipnis. The term is for two years.
In New Jersey’s 15th Legislative District, two Democratic incumbent Assembly members are running in a special election to complete the unexpired terms of former Assembly members Reed Gusciora and Elizabethe Maher Muoio, whose two-year terms would have ended in 2019.
Incumbent Assemblywoman Verlina Reynolds-Jackson, who was appointed after Muoio left the Assembly, is squaring off against Republican Party challenger Tracy R. Sinatra and Robert Edward Forchion Jr. of the Repeal Bail Reform Party.
Incumbent Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli, who was appointed after Gusciora left the Assembly, is facing Republican Party nominee Justin Tibbetts and Alex Bethea of the Integrity Transparency Accountability Party.
At the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders, Democratic Party incumbent freeholders Ann M. Cannon, Pasquale “Pat” Colavita and Samuel T. Frisby Sr. are being challenged by Republican Party nominees Michael Silvestri, Mary R. Walker and Cynthia Larsen for a three-year term.
Also, Democratic Party incumbent freeholder Nina D. Melker is running unopposed to serve the remainder of the term previously held by Anthony Verrelli. That term will end in December 2019.
Finally, voters will be asked to decide on Public Question No. 1, dubbed the “Securing Our Children’s Future Bond Act.”
If the ballot question is approved, it would authorize the state to borrow $500 million in general obligation bonds. Of that amount, $350 million would be earmarked for career and technical education grants at county vocational schools and for school security projects at grades K-12 public schools.
Also, $100 million would be set aside to repair or replace water supply infrastructure to improve water quality for school districts – local, regional, county special services and county vocational schools – plus school districts under state intervention. The remaining $50 million would be allocated for career and technical grants at county colleges.