Incumbent Democrats Neil Lewis and Nuran Nabi triumphed over Republican challenger Paul O’Brien to retain their seats on Plainsboro’s Township Committee, while in West Windsor, Diane Ciccone was elected to remain serving with the council that had appointed her in April.
Lewis and Nabi received 2,618 and 2,434 votes, respectively, while O’Brien received 1,693 votes. In West Windsor, with a vote of 3,335 to 2,176, Ciccone garnered 46 percent of the vote, defeating Andrew Hersh.
“Nuran and I were very humbled and pleased by the strong support we got from the community, and we also are looking forward to doing everything we can to maintain the quality of life in the township,” said Lewis, who said the two winners realize there will be a challenging road ahead of them. He said, though, that the two were committed to preserving the aspects of life that have drawn in and kept so many people in Plainsboro.
He said they look forward to the opening of the new library, seeing the evolution and growth of the new hospital — two projects that “will have very good benefits in the long term for the community and the region.”
Nabi also pointed to the achievements of the Township Committee, including its village center, open space initiatives, and the new library and hospital projects. “I feel proud to be a part of this,” he said, adding that he will continue to support these policies. “Combining all these activities has improved the township’s quality of life.”
Nabi also pointed to the committee’s ability to bring in outside funding in the form of grants to support township projects, which “has lessened the tax burdens on the citizens’ shoulders.” He said he will continue looking for that additional revenue.
O’Brien said his primary plan is to continue moving forward with the Plainsboro Business Partnership organization he founded to strengthen the business community in town. “We’re trying to build a foundation for this group and get the community involved,” he said.
He said he does not know whether he would run for election again in the future, though, “I think as a result of my candidacy a lot of other folks who thought they may want to run in the future have come out of the woodwork,” creating a larger pool of candidates for the party. “There is a renewed enthusiasm in the Republican Party in town.”
O’Brien said he was also encouraged by the fact that he received about 39 percent of the vote — 741 votes under Nabi. “I want to see if there is any statistical significance to this campaign versus the last time a Republican ran.” He will also look at the numbers of the gubernatorial election and compare the percentage of Republican to Democratic votes in town. “It was a great experience, I learned a lot from it, and I met a lot of great people I would normally not have had the opportunity to meet if I didn’t run.”
O’Brien offered congratulatory messages to Lewis and Nabi and thanked them for their service to the township. He also said it nice to be part of a clean campaign season.
Ciccone was chosen in April to serve as former Councilman Will Anklowitz’s replacement until the election.
“I’m really pleased that the West Windsor residents have voted confidence in me,” Ciccone said from her victory party at the home of Councilwoman Linda Geevers. “I’ve been on council for six months, and hopefully it’s a recognition of what I’m trying to do and planning to do in the future.”
That entails “making sure we have a stable and sensible budget,” as well as continue getting the council to work together to be proactive on following through on green initiatives, marketing the township to draw in business, revitalizing Route 571, and implementing more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly improvements — all issues she raised during her campaign. “I think that we can do that now, and I’m just happy that the residents have confidence in me to do those things.”
Hersh focused on the revitalization of Route 571, even hosting a rally for 571 Day, which he maintains was not a political gimmick.
Ciccone said she appreciated his efforts and said she hoped he would stay involved.
Hersh congratulated Ciccone, saying she ran a good, positive campaign. He said he spoke with Ciccone to congratulate her and that she encouraged him to stay involved in the community. “It was a fantastic way to end what has been a really positive race for both of us,” he said.
While Hersh has no plans to run again, he plans to remain involved in volunteering in the community, especially with regard to the issues he raised during the election. “They’re still issues in town, and it’s not like they magically go away just because election season is over,” he said. “There’s a lot we can achieve outside of the council.”
“I hope that the community supports much of what the council has promised to achieve this year,” he added. “I think that Diane has set some very good objectives for the township, and I wish her much success in achieving it.”
