The conclusion of the Nov. 6 election saw a few changes as voters cast their ballots for their preferred candidates.
By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
According to unofficial results posted by the Gloucester County Board of Elections, in Harrison Township, Louis Manzo and Don Heim retained their spots on the township committee.
Current Harrison Township mayor and deputy mayor Manzo and Heim, respectively, were re-elected, with Manzo receiving 3,266 and Heim 3,128. Challengers Edward Selb and David Schulze received 2,223 and 2,119 votes, respectively.
“That tells us in a big way the community, as a whole, is behind us and what we’re doing,” said Manzo. “That makes us feel emboldened and continue to do good things for the town.”
Manzo and Heim both thanked the support they received from residents. They went door-to-door throughout the year discussing with voters their platform and their vision for the township.
“We have a team,” said Heim. “When I say team, it’s an incredible team of people who worked incredibly hard the entire year, not just over the past two weeks leading up to the election, but the entire year. The work that they do is not just for the election. It’s being involved with everything we’re doing in town. They’re on specific committees, coming to meetings, being a sounding board to get an idea or comment from what the town is thinking.”
“They believe in what the vision is,” said Manzo. “We have dozens and dozens of people that come to our aid in these last couple of years, especially this year. Obviously, we continue going out of our way thanking them and wanting their support.”
For those who did not vote for them, the two hope to be given a chance to show them what they’re trying to do for the town and to work to make every attempt to improve the lives of all residents. Heim added they spoke about visiting neighborhoods throughout the year to see what each resident does or doesn’t understand and if they’d want to be involved in the process or not.
“As far as those that didn’t vote for us: Elections are elections,” said Manzo. “The day after elections we are governing this town for all of the residents.”
With the two having three more years on the township committee, they hope to keep the township moving forward in attracting commercial and residential entities that will help promote the growth.
“This is about making sure that we stay firm to what it is we want the town to look like 10 years from now,” said Manzo. “Ten years ago, we basically looked at a map and determined 25 years from now, this is what the perfect community will look like as far as population, green space, open space, preserved land — now, because the world is happening and evolving around us, we’re going to make sure that’s our main priority.”
Republican candidates Selb and Schulze were happy with the voter turnout.
“Even though we did not win, people cast their votes to show that your vote really does count and make a difference,” Selb said on behalf of both candidates. “We appreciate the support before, during and after the election. (Voters’) voices are heard and not everyone agrees with the current administration and what they feel is best for the voters. The numbers support this.”
The pair cited the anti-Trump movement as bringing out an “enormous voting block on both sides.” They said had the split in the Republican party in Harrison Township not been there for the past three years, “the outcome would have been different.”
While Selb and Schulze believe the township keeps everyone well informed through its website, Mullica Hi’ll Connect and “Happenings on the Hill” newsletter, they would like to see the committee make progress on the Richwood Town Center in the near future.
Other election results in Harrison Township and Gloucester County:
Harrison Township Board of Education incumbent members Joseph Schwab (2,526 votes) and Theresa Vaites (2,317 votes) will be joined by Marissa Straccilini (2,392 votes) on the board’s Jan. 7 reorganization meeting. The three won their seats against Stephen Houpt (1,482 votes), Megan Robinson (1,774 votes) and Jennifer Liberi-Middleton (1,470).
Jennifer A. Bowen was elected to fill an unexpired one-year term. She was not contested in the open seat.
In the Clearview Regional School District Board of Education in Harrison Township, Scott Muscarella and Sherry Mongiovi-Dvorak were elected to fill two open seats. The two were not contested.
1,082,636 people in New Jersey voted “yes” for Public Question №1, Securing Our Children’s Futures Bond Act. The bond act authorizes the state to issue bonds in the aggregate principal amount of $500 million. Money from the sale of bonds will be used to provides grants to schools and districts, build and expand facilities to promote technical and career program capacities and upgrade schools’ security and water infrastructure.
Current Freeholder Director Robert Damminger (D) and James Lavender (D) were elected to the freeholder board with 62,839 and 60,273 votes, respectively. Current surrogate Joe Chila (D) won re-election against George W. Shivery, Jr (R) with 62,111 votes. Shivery, Jr received 46,592 votes. Democrat Carmel Morina who finished with 63,356 votes over Republican challenger Jonathan M. Sammons’s 46,186 votes.
William W. Spearman (D) was elected to finish a one-year unexpired term in the fifth Legislative District of New Jersey over Nicholas Kush (R) with 15,858 votes, according to unofficial results from the New Jersey Department of State.
In the election for the state’s Second Congressional District, Jeff Van Drew (D) received 125,755 votes, according to unofficial results from the New Jersey Department of State. Robert Menendez (D) was re-elected to the U.S. Senate by 1,480,011 voters.
