METUCHEN – Two Democrats won the three-year terms that were available on the Borough Council in the election on Nov. 3.
According to results certified by the Middlesex County Clerk’s Office on Nov. 20, Tyler Kandel received the most votes with 5,783 and incumbent Councilman Daniel Hirsch received 5,664 votes to win the seats.
They were challenged by Stephen Kitsko, a Republican, who received 3,115 votes. There were 97 write-in votes.
Kandel said he is “truly grateful for all of the support from Metuchen voters and their confidence in me to become the newest member of the Metuchen Borough Council.
“I am looking forward to making a significant contribution towards creating a better Metuchen and working through the major issues facing the borough as a result of the pandemic,” he said. “I want to thank Stephen Kitsko, the Republican candidate for council this year, for running a respectful campaign and for participating in the debate last month. I appreciate Mr. Kitsko’s candidacy and discussion of the issues that concern him, and look forward to speaking with him about those issues in the future.”
Hirsch will begin his second elected term on council in January. He was appointed to the council in January 2019 and ran successfully for the one-year unexpired term in November 2019.
During the election he said he was “running for a seat on the council because I possess good judgment and feel that service to my community is important.
“As an attorney, a businessman, and proven leader in the community, I possess the knowledge, experience and skills to help my town be the best town that it can be,” he said. “I have a clear understanding that anything I do in my position as councilperson is not about me and my desires, but must be what’s best for Metuchen. I also understand that there are limited resources and that interests must often be balanced against each other.”
As the liaison to the borough fire department and Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Hirsch said the most pressing need in Metuchen for the next few years is creating a plan to build an affordable, but effective, home for the fire and EMS services.