Two countywide offices are on the ballot this Election Day: Mercer County executive and Mercer County freeholder.
Biographies of the candidates appear below:
Mercer County executive
Two candidates are running for a four-year term as Mercer County Executive: incumbent Brian Hughes and Republican challenger Lishian “Lisa” Wu.
Hughes is a Democrat currently serving his fourth term as county executive. The Princeton resident previously worked as deputy executive director of the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Hughes is the son of former governor and supreme court chief justice Richard J. Hughes.
Wu, a Republican, previously ran for Princeton council in 2018, where her main issue was combating the high taxes and cost of living in the township. Born in Taiwan, she came to the United States in 1974 to study at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her professional background is in accounting. She has not held public office before.
Mercer County freeholder
Two candidates are running unopposed for two three-year terms as a Mercer County freeholders.
Nina Melker, a Democrat, has been serving as a freeholder since being appointed in September 2018 to fill a vacancy. She ran unopposed for the remainder of the term last November. A Hamilton resident, Melker has been in the banking industry for nearly four decades. She currently works as a private banker with Berkshire Bank.
Andrew Koontz, a Democrat, has served on the freeholder board since 2011. A Princeton resident, he served on the Princeton Borough Council from 2003-10. Koontz graduated from New York University with a B.F.A. and is currently a film and television teacher at Hightstown High School.
