ALLENTOWN — There were no surprises in the borough on Election Day as voters elected an incumbent and a former councilman to the Borough Council.
Republicans Peter Pantages and Dan Wimer were elected in an uncontested race with 521 and 517 votes, respectively. The totals include absentee ballots.
Pantages, 45, is finishing his second three-year term on council. He serves as council president.
He has said that priorities for the future include taking steps to handle the borough’s traffic situation by ensuring the completion of planned bypasses and keeping lines of communication open with representatives of surrounding towns that are still developing.
Wimer, 46, served on council from 1990-96. Following completion of his second term, he chose not to run for re-election. He will rejoin the all-Republican council in January and has said that improving recreation opportunities for the town’s children is an issue that should be pursued.
In the contests for other offices, Allentown voters gave a majority of votes to Democratic Vice President Al Gore in his race with Republican Texas Gov. George W. Bush for president. Not counting absentee ballots, Gore outpolled Bush, 438 to 353, in the borough.
In the races for Monmouth County freeholder, U.S. Congress and U.S. Senate, Republicans carried the day.
Incumbent Freeholder Ted Narozanick outpolled Democrat Michael Dowling, 387 to 298; incumbent GOP Congressman Christopher Smith topped Democratic state Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, 495 to 274 in the race to represent the 4th District; and Republican Bob Franks outpolled Democrat Jon Corzine in the race for U.S. Senate, 397 to 344.
Narozanick and Smith held onto their seats, while Corzine defeated Franks and won the seat held by Sen. Frank Lauten-berg, who chose not to run for re-election.