Republican Doug Forrester, West Windsor resident and former township mayor will face off against Democratic Senator John Corzine in this November’s race for governor.##M:[more]##
In the June 7 primary election, Forrester defeated his closest competitor, Bret Schundler, by a comfortable margin to win the GOP nomination and the right to face off against Corzine, who was effectively running unopposed, and received 87 percent of the vote.
According to unofficial returns, Forrester received 101,”388 votes (36 percent), while Schundler garnered $87,”920 (31 percent). None of the five other candidates running managed to get more than 11 percent of the vote.
Forrester was the top GOP vote-getter in both Plainsboro and West Windsor Townships, according to unofficial results tallied by the township clerks’ offices.
In West Windsor, Forrester received 712 votes and Schundler 194,according to Deputy Township Clerk Gay Huber. A total of 1,”036 Republicans voted in the election, 49 percent of the registered Republicans in the township. Corzine received 345 votes out of 412 votes cast by registered Democrats. Turnout by the township’s Democrats was 18 percent.
Overall voter turnout was 10 percent, with 1,”448 of the township’s 14,”025 registered voters showing at the polls.
In Plainsboro, 215 Republicans voted for Forrester, while Schundler had 125. Corzine received 217 votes.
According to Township Clerk Patricia Hullfish, 246 out of 1,”467 registered Democrats voted and 407 out of 908 registered Republicans cast their ballots. Voter turnout was about 7 percent, with 653 of the township’s 9,”117 registered voters casting their ballots.
In the local township committee race, incumbent Democrat Peter Cantu and Republican Challenger Stacey Zieminski were both running unopposed. Cantu received 210 out of the 246 votes by Democrats, and Zieminski received 290 out of 407 votes cast by Republicans.
Both candidates are vying for election to one open three-year seat on the governing body.
Meanwhile, both Forrester and Corzine will make their first joint appearance together on Tuesday, June 14, at the Employer Legislative Committee Biennial Dinner at the Hyatt in West Windsor. The dinner is traditionally the kickoff of the fall gubernatorial campaign.
