UNION COUNTY, NJ — The Union County Clerk’s Office has reported the following local election unofficial results from the general election on Tuesday, Nov. 5. For all of these results, 100% of the districts are reporting.
House of Representatives
Democratic Rep. Rob Menendez of the state’s 8th Congressional District of the House of Representatives received 57.97% or 13,971 votes and defeated Republican challenger Anthony Valdes, who received 38.59% or 9,299 votes. Candidates Christian J. Robbins, Pablo R. Olivera and Lea Sherman received 1.67% or 403 votes, 0.69% or 166 votes, and 0.44% or 153 votes, respectively. There were 0.44% or 107 write-in votes, for a total of 24,099 votes. Elizabeth is represented in this district.
Democratic Rep. LaMonica McIver of the state’s 10th Congressional District of the House of Representatives received 63.16% or 47,131 votes and defeated Republican challenger Carmen Bucco, who received 34.31% or 25,603 votes. Candidates Jon Carlos Serrano, Cynthia A. Johnson, Donna Weiss and Michelle Middleton received 1.18% or 878 votes, 0.37% or 279 votes, 0.30% or 221 votes, and 0.49% or 367 votes, respectively. There were 0.19% or 140 write-in votes, for a total of 74,619 votes. Cranford, Garwood, Hillside, Kenilworth, Linden, Roselle, Roselle Park and Union Township are represented in this district.
Board of Commissioners
Democrats Kimberly Palmieri-Mouded, Alexander Miravella and James E. Baker Jr. were reelected as members of the Board of County Commissioners, receiving 20.32% or 124,120 votes, 20.44% or 124,833 votes, and 20.04% or 122,395 votes respectively. Republican challengers Mary O’Connor, Jeanne Kingsley and Michael Petrucci received 13.10% or 80,029 votes, 12.91% or 78,835 votes, and 13.02% or 79,549 votes, respectively. There were 0.18% or 1,073 write-in votes, for a total of 610,834 votes.
Clark
Clark Republican Mayor Salvatore F. Bonaccorso won re-election when he received 59.31% or 5,299 votes, defeating Democratic challenger Michael R. Shulman, who received 40.35% or 3,605 votes. There were 0.35% or 31 write-in votes, for a total of 8,935 votes.
Clark incumbent Republican council members-at-large were re-elected, with Angela Albanese, William Smith and James Minniti receiving 20.50% or 5,343 votes, 20.76% or 5,410 votes, and 20.83% or 5,429 votes. Democratic challengers William S. Grzyb Jr., John M. Greaves and Mary Cortazzo Semler received 12.94% or 3,372 votes, 12.47% or 3,250 votes, and 12.37% or 3,224 votes, respectively. There were 0.12% or 31 write-in votes, for a total of 26,059 votes.
Challenger Thomas J. Maye, incumbent Robert F. Smorol Jr. and incumbent Dino Bencivenga won seats on the Clark Board of Education, receiving 27.72% or 4,434 votes, 27.54% or 4,409 votes, and 28.00% or 4,483 votes, respectively. Challengers Jarred B. Preiss and Seamus Patrick O’Toole received 9.16% or 1,466 votes, and 6.88% or 1,102 votes, respectively. There were 0.69% or 111 write-in votes, for a total of 16,009 votes.
Cranford
Incumbent Republican Regina “Gina” Black won reelection to the Cranford Township Committee when she received 46.17% or 6,299 votes, defeating Democratic challenger Juan Carlos Nordelo and candidate Will Thilly, who received 44.11% or 6,018 votes, and 9.65% or 1,317 votes, respectively. There were 0.07% or 10 write-in votes, for a total of 13,644 votes.
Challenger John McGovern and incumbents Jessica Soltys and William B. Hulse were elected to the Cranford Board of Education, receiving 35.96% or 7,805 votes, 33.38% or 7,244 votes, and 29.72% or 6,451 votes, respectively. There were 0.94% or 204 write-in votes, for a total of 21,704 votes. They ran unopposed.
Elizabeth
Incumbent Democratic J. Christian Bollwage won reelection as mayor of Elizabeth, receiving 98.77% or 17,562 votes. There were 1.23% or 219 write-in votes, for a total of 17,781 votes. He ran unopposed.
Incumbent Democratic candidates Patricia Perkins-Auguste, Manny Grova Jr. and Frank J. Cuesta won reelection as council members-at-large in Elizabeth, receiving 33.00% or 15,863 votes, 33.38% or 16,047 votes, and 32.95% or 15,838 votes, respectively. There were 0.67% or 320 write-in votes, for a total of 48,068 votes. They ran unopposed.
Incumbents Charlene Bathelus, Stephanie Goncalves and Iliana Chevres were re-elected to the Elizabeth Board of Education, receiving 26.66% or 9,150 votes, 30.70% or 10,534 votes, and 28.15% or 9,659 votes, respectively. Challenger Maria E. Lorenz received 13.60% or 4,667 votes. There were 0.89% or 307 write-in votes, for a total of 34,317 votes.
Hillside
Incumbent Marjorie Hargrave and challengers Christian Estremera and Eric Okai were elected as Hillside Board of Education members, receiving 36.48% or 3,948 votes, 30.13% or 3,260 votes, and 29.74% or 3,218 votes, respectively. There were 3.65% or 395 write-in votes, for a total of 10,821 votes. They ran unopposed.
Kenilworth
Republican incumbent Joseph Finistrella and challenger Douglas G. Piper were elected to the Council Borough of Kenilworth, receiving 28.85% or 2,168 votes, and 27.41% or 2,060 votes, respectively. Democratic challengers Mark David and Kay Anne Ceceri received 21.85% or 1,642 votes, and 21.77% or 1,636 votes, respectively. There were 0.12% or 9 write-in votes, for a total of 7,515 votes.
Challengers Joseph J. Hrdina III and Suzanne Crincoli and incumbent Michelle Panichi were elected to the Kenilworth Board of Education, receiving 20.67% or 1,199 votes, 22.83% or 1,324 votes, and 20.95% or 1,215 votes, respectively. Incumbents Allison Tears and Paulette Drogon received 18.45% or 1,070 votes, and 16.60% or 963 votes, respectively. There were 0.50% or 29 write-in votes, for a total of 5,800 votes.
Linden
Democratic incumbent Lisa Ann Ormon was reelected as 1st Ward Linden Council member, receiving 64.80% or 950 votes. Republican challenger Oberson Bazil received 34.92% or 512 votes. There were 0.27% or 4 write-in votes, for a total of 1,466 votes.
Democratic challenger Alfred Rodriguez was elected as 9th Ward Linden Council member, receiving 43.90% or 759 votes. Republican challenger Victor Kaminski and candidate Paul Saldanha received 36.84% or 637 votes, and 19.03% or 329 votes, respectively. There were 0.23% or 4 write-in votes, for a total of 1,729 votes.
Incumbents Marlene Berghammer, Lymari Cintron and Antoinette Pino were reelected as member of the Linden Board of Education, receiving 29.63% or 7,328 votes, 29.32% or 7,251 votes, and 29.41% or 7,274 votes, respectively. Challenger Craig Halloran received 10.11% or 2,499 votes. There were 1.52% or 377 votes, for a total of 24,729 votes.
Mountainside
Republican incumbents Alexander Van Deusen and Donald Rinaldo were reelected to the Mountainside Borough Council, receiving 28.78% or 2,327 votes, and 29.00% or 2,345 votes, respectively. Democratic challengers Richard S. Schmedel and Jennifer Toth received 20.90% or 1,690 votes, and 21.21% or 1,715 votes, respectively. There were 0.10 % or 8 write-in votes, for a total of 8,085 votes.
Republican incumbent Valerie Wass was reelected to the Mountainside Borough Council, receiving 99.01% or 2,812 votes. There were 0.99% or 28 write-in votes, for a total of 2,840 votes. She ran unopposed.
Incumbents Candice Schiano and Jordan Hyman were reelected to the Mountainside Board of Education, receiving 51.43% or 2,217 votes, and 47.30% or 2,039 votes, respectively. There were 1.28% or 55 write-in votes, for a total of 4,311 votes. They ran unopposed.
57.99% or 2,039 voters voted yes and 42.01% or 1,477 voters voted no for Mountainside’s Public Question, to reinstate teaching positions and programs that were cut due to budget shortfalls. There were a total of 3,516 votes.
Rahway
Democratic challenger Alfmarand Montesdeoca was elected as 1st Ward council member of Rahway, receiving 75.34% or 1,460 votes. Republican challenger Jeannette Rubio received 23.94% or 464 votes. There were 0.72% or 14 write-in votes, for a total of 1,938 votes.
Democratic incumbent Karla Timmons was reelected as 2nd Ward council member of Rahway, receiving 67.19% or 1,247 votes. Republican challenger William J. Brenner Jr. received 32.65% or 606 votes. There were 0.16% or 3 write-in votes, for a total of 1,856 votes.
Democratic incumbent Vannie D. Parson was reelected as 3rd Ward council member of Rahway, receiving 60.99% or 1,446 votes. Republican challenger Darren John Lesinski received 38.63% or 916 votes. There were 0.38% or 9 write-in votes, for a total of 2,371 votes.
Democratic incumbent David Brown was reelected as 4th Ward councilman of Rahway, receiving 82.67% or 1,402 votes. Republican challenger Jermaine Caulder received 16.92% or 287 votes. There were 0.41% or 7 write-in votes, for a total of 1,696 votes.
Democratic incumbent Danielle Newbury was reelected as 5th Ward councilman of Rahway, receiving 68.97% or 1,250 votes. Republican challenger Barbara Czarnecki received 29.61% or 540 votes. There were 1.43% or 26 write-in votes, for a total of 1,824 votes.
Democratic incumbent Joseph D. Gibilisco was reelected as 6th Ward councilman of Rahway, receiving 58.84% or 1,255 votes. Republican challenger Casey E. Granieri received 40.79% or 870 votes. There were 0.38% or 8 write-in votes, for a total of 2,133 votes.
Incumbent candidates Bernard P. Robson, Najeh Allen and Shanna Raysick were reelected as members of the Rahway Board of Education, receiving 20.78% or 5,091 votes, 20..85% or 5,108 votes, and 20.24% or 4,958 votes. Challengers Ray Lopez, Laura Bellevue and Leslie Rippon received 13.51% or 3,309 votes, 12.41% or 3,041 votes, and 11.79% or 2,889 votes, respectively. There were 0.43% or 105 write-in votes, for a total of 24,501 votes.
Roselle
Democratic incumbent Brandon Bernier was reelected 2nd Ward council member of Roselle, receiving 99.47% or 1,123 votes. There were 0.53% or 6 write-in votes, for a total of 1,129 votes. He was unopposed.
Democratic challenger Rosetta McCamery was elected 5th Ward council member of Roselle, receiving 98.98% or 1,751 votes. There were 1.02% or 18 votes, for a total of 1,769 votes. She ran unopposed.
Incumbents Giselle Bond, Yessica Chavez and France Cortez were reelected as members of the Roselle Board of Education, receiving 34.99% or 3,367 votes, 33.74% or 3,247 votes, and 30.20% or 2,906 votes, respectively. There were 1.08% or 104 votes, for a total of 9,624 votes. They ran unopposed.
Roselle Park
Democratic challenger Joseph Petrosky was elected as 2nd Ward council member of Roselle Park, receiving 61.88% or 784 votes. Republican challenger Jorge Ramirez received 37.88% or 480 votes. There were 0.24% or 3 write-in votes, for a total of 1,267 votes.
Democratic challenger Jay Robaina was elected as 5th Ward council member of Roselle Park, receiving 59.23% or 645 votes. Republican challenger Eric Kennedy received 40.59% or 442 votes. There were 0.18% or 2 write-in votes, for a total of 1,089 votes.
Challengers Lucy Figueiredo, Zachary Infante and Marc Fernandez were elected as members of the Roselle Park Board of Education, receiving 21.32% or 2,082 votes, 14.27% or 1,393 votes, and 14.25% or 1,392 votes, respectively. Challenger Jennifer Makhoul, incumbent Paul Baiamonte and challengers Cielo Maria Cunha and Christian Camilo received 13.65% or 1,333 votes, 13.51% or 1,319 votes, 12.54% or 1,225 votes, and 10.12% or 988 votes, respectively. There were 0.34% or 33 write-in votes, for a total of 9,765 votes.
Springfield
Democratic incumbents Chris Weber and Alexander Keiser were reelected as members of the Springfield Township Committee, receiving 30.36% or 5,080 votes, and 28.20% or 4,718 votes, respectively. Republican challengers Jeffrey Chait and Catherine Guarino received 19.82% or 3,316 votes, and 21.44% or 3,587 votes, respectively. There were 0.19% or 32 write-in votes, for a total of 16,733 votes.
Challengers Tracey M. Rinaldi, Dana Kelly and Jennifer Wishna were elected as members of the Springfield Board of Education, deceiving 27.91% or 3,880 votes, 27.93% or 3,882 votes, and 23.73% or 3,299 votes, respectively. Incumbent Yelena Zolotarsky received 19.78% or 2,750 votes. There were 0.65% or 90 write-in votes, for a total of 13,901 votes.
Summit
Democratic candidate Michelle Kalmanson was elected as 1st Ward council member of Summit, receiving 52.88% or 2,891 votes. Republican candidate Donald Nelson received 47.06% or 2,573 votes. There were 0.05% or 3 write-in votes, for a total of 5,467 votes.
Democratic candidate Claire Toth was elected as 2nd Ward council member of Summit, receiving 53.29% or 3,130 votes. Republican challenger Mark Gunderson received 46.62% or 2,738 votes. There were 0.09% or 5 write-in votes, for a total of 5,873 votes.
Union
Democratic incumbents Manuel Figueiredo and Sandra Terrell were reelected as members of the Union Township Committee, receiving 35.34% or 16.961 votes, and 34.46% or 16,539 votes, respectively. Republican challengers David J. Fitzpatrick and Stephen Laurito received 15.09% or 7,244 votes, and 14.86% or 7,133 votes, respectively. There were 0.24% or 116 write-in votes, for a total of 47,993 votes.
Democratic incumbent Patricia Guerra-Frazier was reelected as a member of the Union Township Committee, receiving 99.29% or 18.097 votes. There were 0.71% or 130 write-in votes, for a total of 18,227 votes. He ran unopposed.
Incumbents Chastity Santana, Greg Nasta and Kimberly Scott-Hayden were reelected as Union Board of Education members, receiving 29.05% or 11,653 votes, 29.47% or 11,823 votes, and 30.40% or 12.195 votes, respectively. Challenger Sol V. Atencio received 10.40% or 4,173 votes. There were 0.69% or 276 votes, for a total of 40,120 votes.