AREA — Another election season is underway, and voters will be heading to the polls in just a few short weeks.
At the state level, the entire legislature faces reelection. Republican Senator Jon Bramnick will be vying for another term representing the 21st legislative district against Democratic challenger Matt Marino. In the 22nd District, Senate President Nicholas Scutari (Democrat) will face Republican challenger William Michelson.
For the Assembly in the 21st District, Republican incumbents Michele Matsikoudis and Nancy Muñoz are challenged by Democrats Elizabeth Graner and Chris Weber. In District 22, incumbent Democrats James Kennedy and Linda Carter will face off against Republicans Lisa Fabrizio and Patricia Quattrocchi.
In Union County, meanwhile, Democratic incumbents Lourdes Leon and Joseph Bodek (who was first appointed to his seat in December of last year) will join newcomer Michele S. Delisfort in running against three Republican candidates — Carlos Santos, Brian Johdos and Cathy Jakositz — for three, three-year terms on the Union County Board of County Commissioners. Sheriff Peter Corvelli also is seeking re-election against Gerardo Jerry Napolitano, a Republican candidate from Cranford.
At the local level, Mayor Brian Andrews and Commissioner Paul Gallo (both Democrats) will vie for two, three-year seats on the Cranford Township Committee against Republican challengers Michael Petrucci and Deirdre Koczur.
In Fanwood, Mayor Colleen Mahr and council members Jeffrey Banks and Anthony Carter will run unopposed for re-election. Garwood voters, meanwhile, will be faced with a full slate.
Councilman Vince Kearney (Democrat) will run alongside Democrat Karina Boto as they face Republican challengers ShannonAnwander and Michele Capobianco for two, three-year terms on the borough council, while Republican Rachel Herz and Democrat Sean Keagan Foley will seek election to fill the remainder of an unexpired term currently occupied by Ms. Herz.
Mountainside Mayor Paul Mirabelli (Republican) will be challenged in his bid for re-election by Independent candidate Thomas Murphy, while Republican council members Deanna Andre and Steven Matejek will run un-opposed for two more three-year terms.
In Westfield, where the election is divided into wards, Democrat incumbent Emily Root will seek another four-year term as the Ward 1 representative against Republican challenger Todd Saunders; newcomers Erika Vargas-Garrison (Democrat) and Michael Armento (Republican) will square off to represent Ward 2; in Ward 3, Republican Michal Domogala is running against Democrat Dawn Alicia Nichol-Manning; and incumbent Democrat Scott Katz will be challenged by Republican David Kiefer for control of Ward 4.
The Westfield Leader will hold a candidates’ forum at the Town Hall for all Westfield candidates this evening, Thursday, October 12.
Voters in Westfield and Scotch Plains also will be asked to weigh in on public referendum questions regarding the funding of turf-field installations in their respective communities. While the local governing bodies passed bond ordinances, local residents successfully petitioned both towns to put the funding up to public vote.
Voters in Clark and Mountainside additionally will be faced with con- tested school-board elections this November, while Scotch Plains and Garwood board members will be running unopposed for election.
Clark voters must choose three of the four candidates to fill the board of education seats between incumbents Robert Brede, Steven Donkersloot, Megan Harrison and newcomer Rob Curry-Patel.
Mountainside voters will choose two to fill the seats on the school board between Vivian Pupo, Dana Guidicipietro and Hector Meneses, Jr.
For a full list of candidates and more information regarding mail-in ballots and early voting, visit the Union County Clerk’s website at unioncountyvotes.com.
