Democrats Ed Yates and Mike Weaver were reelected to serve their third three-year terms on the Plainsboro Township Committee on November 2. Both were running unopposed. The initial ballots listed Yates as receiving 4,”584 votes and Weaver receiving 4,”684 votes. The totals are not yet official as about 150 absentee ballots have yet to be counted. ##M:[more]##
Weaver, who is 54 years old, works as a deputy chief enforcement officer for the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs. Yates, 51, is a project executive for an electrical contracting company.
The election saw 6,”705 of 10,”600 registered Plainsboro voters take to the polls, most of whom voted for Democratic candidates. In the presidential race, 4,”243 voted for Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, the Democratic candidate, while 2,”387 voted for Republican George Bush. Independent candidate Ralph Nader received 38 votes.
Democrat Rush Holt received 4,”491 votes from Plainsboro voters in his successful reelection bid for the 12th district of the House of Representatives. Republican Bill Spadea received 1,”958 votes.
Democrats Christopher Rafano, Blanquita Valenti, and Stephen J. Dalina won three-year term as County Freeholders. Rafano received 3,”719 votes from Plainsboro voters, Valenti earned 3,”715 votes, and Dalina received 3,”752 votes. Republicans Frank Coury had 2,”127 votes from Plainsboro, Peter Trabucco had 2,”070, and Maria Garcia received 2,”175 votes.
In the race for County Sheriff, Democrat Joseph Spicuzzo, who won a four-year term, received 3,”782 Plainsboro votes while Republican Charles Edwards received 2,”214 votes.
WW Election Results
In an election that saw a whopping 71.6 percent turnout at the polls, Democratic candidates swept West Windsor Township.
A total of 10,”429 of the township’s 14,”558 registered voters cast their ballots, the majority of which went to Democratic candidates in every race. Ironically, West Windsor used to be counted on as a Mercer County GOP stronghold.
In the presidential race, 6,”108 votes went to Decmocratic Senator John Kerry (58.57 percent), while 4,”227 voted to re-elect Republican President George Bush (40.53 percent).
Other candidates getting votes in the presidential race included independent Ralph Nader (40 votes); Libertarian Party candidate Michael Badnarik (13 votes); Socialist Party USA candidate Walter Brown (5 votes); Michael A. Peroutka of the Constitution party (3 votes); Socialist Workers Party candidate Roger Calero (3 votes); and Green Party candidate David Cobb (2 votes).
Write-in votes went to Senator John McCain (5 votes); Colin Powell (2 votes); and Eliot Spitzer and Deforest Blake Soaries, with one each.
Democrat Rush Holt easily took West Windsor in bid for re-election to a 12th District seat in the House of Representatives. Holt received 6,”552 votes (62.82 percent), and his Republican opponent Bill Spadea received 3,”368 votes (32.29 percent). Holt, whose congressional office is located on Washington Road in West Windsor, was re-elected 161,”331 to 110,”111 according to unofficial results.
West Windsor also opted for the Democrats in the race for two seats on the Mercer Board of Chosen Freeholders. Incumbent Democrats Anthony Caribelli and Keith Hamilton won with 5,”279 votes (50.62 percewnt), and 5,”234 votes (50.19 percent) respectively. Republican Joseph D’Angelo received 4,”000 votes (38.35 percent), and Republican Joseph A. DiCara was last with 3,”797 votes (36.40 votes).
In the overall race for Freeholder, the Democrats won re-election to three-year terms, with 78,”904 votes for Caribelli, 76,”110 votes for Hamilton, 47,”718 for D’Angelo, and 45,”245 for DiCara, according to unofficial results.
In the only public question on the ballot, West Windsor voters strongly supported a one-cent hike in the Mercer County open space tax. The question was approved by township voters 6,”073 to 2,”497.
The measure, which will raise the open space tax from 2 cents to 3 cents per 100 of assessed valuation, was overwhelmingly approved by a county-wide vote of 71,”206 to 35,”015. Most of the money from the tax — estimated to be $3.1 million — will be used for open space preservation, although up to 15 percent can be used for parkland development and the purchase of historic properties.
