The Middlesex County Clerk’s Office has finally tallied the election results.
The Nov. 8 general election featured contested races for seats on the Metuchen municipal governing body and an up-and-coming Ward 1 seat in Woodbridge.
There were also contested elections for board of education (BOE) seats in Metuchen, Edison and Woodbridge.
Metuchen County Council – two to three years
Democratic incumbent Dorothy Rasmussen received 3,995 votes and candidate Lisa Hyman received 3,910 votes in winning bids for the two three-year seats that were up for grabs in the general election.
Republican candidates Eric Lignel received 1,962 votes and Richard Toren received 1,882 votes in their losing bids for the seat.
21 votes were cast.
On the eve of the election, Rasmussen and Hyman shared what they would like to work on if re-elected, respectively.
Rasmussen, who will begin her fifth term in January 2023, said she would like to continue working on the Metuchen Climate Plan.
“Getting grants for projects important to the quality of life of our residents, especially the environment, will be a priority,” she said. “Maintaining our Sustainable Jersey certification will also be an important issue because through certification we achieve practical, tangible results in sustainability. I look forward to being a partner with our residents in the actions we take to make Metuchen a great place to live.”
Hyman, who will begin her first term in January, said she wants to “create opportunities for greater participation in living in the city.”
“The best way to make Metuchen your home is to be hands-on in its improvements and solutions,” she said. “Joining your neighbors in projects dear to your heart ignites relationships, makes you feel protected, builds community pride, and it’s fun.”
Woodbridge City Council Board, District 1 – Three-year unexpired term
Democratic candidate Sharon McAuliffe received 2,722 votes in her winning bid for the three-year unexpired term available during the general election. Republican candidate John Vrtarich received 2,213 votes in his losing race for the seat.
McAuliffe was appointed to the seat in January after Ward 1 Councilwoman Nancy Drum passed away.
Eight votes were cast.
Before the election, McAuliffe shared what she would like to work on if elected.
“As a Council person, our main focus is on improving the quality of life for our residents. We need to control speeding on residential streets and improve traffic flow while providing quality schools for our students and recreational opportunities for our children, families and seniors. We need to improve our valuable Seawaren waterfront and attract more new businesses to Woodbridge. I am proud to have voted for a zero council tax increase, and I believe that improving property values is of paramount importance to us as elected officials.”
Edison BOE – three, three years
Former Board of Education member Joseph Romano received 9,265 votes, incumbent Councilman Xiaohan “Shannon” Peng received 8,763 votes and candidate Vishal Patel received 7,904 votes in their bids for three-year seats up for grabs in the general election.
Penn, Romano and Patel participated in the Edison Students First competition.
Incumbent councilor Kevin Gaiduk received 6,791 votes, incumbent councilor Shivi Prasad-Madhukar received 5,913 votes, candidate Manasi Mathur received 5,407 votes, Yash Pandya received 3,584 votes, Minesh Patel received 3,274 votes, Nisha Banginwar received 3,084 votes and Christa Makropoulos received 2,194 votes. . , in their losing bids on the spot.
195 votes were cast.
Penn will begin his third term; Romano will return to the board after six years, while Patel will begin his first term in January 2023.
Before the election, Penn, Romano and Patel shared what they would like to work on if re-elected, respectively.
Peng: Overpopulation. While on the board, I helped save taxpayers over $10 million in budget savings while bringing back full-day kindergarten, adding more than 40 classrooms/gyms, new middle and elementary science programs, new athletic fields and dance studios and computer labs in high schools.
Our team has a dream. Children should have enough classrooms to complete any course, beautiful sports fields to play on, modern auditoriums to perform in, and bright, shiny cafeterias to dine in. Our teachers need to have all the tools and training they need, come to school every day with something to look forward to, and go home feeling accomplished and rewarded.
We must continue to pursue our dream. It really hurts when another course/lab is canceled, or another optional program is cut due to lack of class or resources. Our students, teachers, taxpayers deserve better.
the novel: Work with the board and school community to put students first. Work with the city to alleviate overcrowding in our schools and hire teachers and staff from our school system.
Patel: Holding the school administration accountable.
Metuchen BOE – three, three years
Incumbent board members Alicia Sneddon Killeen received 3,849 votes, Eric Soos received 3,758 votes and Jonathan Lifton received 3,529 votes in their winning bids for three-year terms, which were held during the November election.
Candidate Michael Cummings received 1,564 votes and John “Jack” Hand received 1,433 votes in their losing bids for the seat.
115 votes were cast.
Ahead of the election, Sneddon Killeen, Sass and Lifton shared what they would like to work on if re-elected.
Sneddon Killeen: I would like to focus on getting back to the basics of education. The past few years have been a whirlwind for students, staff and families. Returning to an academic focus and empowering students to become well-rounded global citizens, critical thinkers and problem solvers is what every district should strive for now, and Metuchen is no different. There is a tremendous amount of talent in our schools that guides our children and finding ways to support their needs so that they can help our children grow is very important to me.
Sauce: I would like to improve the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) experience at all levels and grades of students, provide the best possible physical environment for our children to learn and grow with fiscal responsibility (see upcoming referendum), increase transparency of district operations and provide greater opportunities for parent involvement, maximizing our investment in technology to improve the educational experience of all our children, continuing to raise the bar for all students and ensuring they are continually challenged, and ensuring that every day – to date, our schools continue work with financial responsibility.
Lifton: As a professional in the construction industry and Chair of the Referendum Commission, I would be in a unique position to help the County implement the Referendum Plans effectively and efficiently once they are approved by the public. Additionally, with our teachers’ contract expiring at the end of this school year, I hope to bring my experience as chair of our Negotiation Committee during the last four teacher contract negotiations to the discussion and help continue Metuchen’s tradition of a respectful and positive relationship with by our teachers and their management.
Woodbridge BOE – Three, three years
Board incumbents Joseph Velez received 12,397 votes, Jonathan Tribwasser received 11,003 votes and Akshar “AJ” Sidana received 10,746 votes in their winning bids for the three three-year seats available during the general election.
Candidate Thomas E. Maras received 8,553 votes in his unsuccessful bid for the seat.
307 votes were cast.
On the eve of the elections, Sidano shared what he would like to work on in case of re-election.
Sidon: Help bring our Woodbridge City School community to the forefront of learning while making fair decisions that benefit the community at large.
