As the Nov. 2 general election occurs next week, Cranbury residents will decide on their next Township Committee members and three seats on the Cranbury Township Board of Education.
Leading up to the general election date, Republican Robert Bolger, Democrat Eman El-Badawi, Democratic incumbent Michael Ferrante and Republican Cynthia Hughes-Smithers are squaring off for two seats on the Cranbury Township Committee with a three-year term.
Both the Republican and Democratic candidates will be on the ballot next Tuesday.
Along with the Township Committee, residents must decide three open seats on the school board. The race for the three seats features four candidates. The seats each carry a three-year term.
Also an incumbent, board member Dominique Jones will have her name on the ballot. But, there are three write-in campaigns that have been taking place prior to the upcoming Nov. 2 general election.
Emma Bossard, Katherine Lara and Pam Walker are the three write-in candidates conducting their individual campaigns in seeking to earn those three seats.
Here is a quick overview of the four candidates running for the school board:
Bossard was born and raised in the historic Cranbury Station Hamlet and her professional experience began with a focus on at-risk youth as well as individuals with developmental disabilities.
She served as director of admissions at The Elms of Cranbury Nursing Facility for the past eight years and is one of the founding organizers of the Matt Collura 5K fundraiser event.
“I am running for election because I was raised with an understanding that volunteerism and civic duty are critical to the overall success of a community,” she said. “Building on the hard work of those who came before, my goal is to ensure that Cranbury remains a high-performing educational experience for children of all abilities and backgrounds.”
Jones, who is the incumbent, is seeking re-election to school board and has been in the Cranbury community since 2004. She was elected to the Cranbury school board in 2013 and started serving as a school board member in 2014.
Professionally, she is an attorney and her volunteer work includes having served as program director of the PTO.
“I am running for re-election because I feel that there are some important upcoming issues that need an experienced board member to properly see through,” she said. “Since starting my service on the board, we’ve obtained Blue Ribbon status in 2016, ensured that our children can attend Princeton High School for another 10 years, and worked on the facilities plan that resulted in the referendum.”
Jones added that she is passionate about making middle school a better experience for Cranbury students and has worked tirelessly for the change to the homework policy.
Lara has been a Cranbury resident for nine years and has been involved in the PTO. She currently is in her second year as PTO co-president. Lara also volunteers at Skeet’s Pantry putting together food donations.
“I am committed to contributing in a manner that would not only help better the children of Cranbury’s education and their potential involvement in school and community, through S.T.E.A.M programs, educational initiatives, and volunteer opportunities, but the community as a whole as well,” she said. “I believe that through collaboration with those that bring their many perspectives to the table we can achieve greater goals for the children, school, and community.”
Walker has been a part of the Cranbury community for four years. She is a member of the Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) and serves as secretary on the Cranbury PTO.
Professionally, Walker is the general manager of a software business unit within Underwriters Laboratories and has nonprofit board experience with the Junior League of Greater Princeton and Princeton Blairstown Center.
“I have a passion for volunteering and for the community. I am excited about the opportunity to ensure that the children of Cranbury have the resources needed to excel,” she said.
To learn more about the candidates for school board, along with the candidates for Township Committee, their bios, and their responses to questions from The Cranbury Press, visit www.centraljersey.com for candidate stories and select under the papers tab The Cranbury Press.