Democrats take both Township seats, shutting out Republicans and Greens

Two Democratic incumbents maintained their seats on the Princeton Township Committee, defeating candidates from the Republican and Green parties.

Democrat William Enslin received 3,035 votes, or 28 percent of the vote. Fellow Democrat Bernard Miller received 2,988 votes, garnering 28 percent as well.

Republicans Ellen Souter and Michael Bonotto received 2,150 and 1,920 votes, or 20 and 18 percent, respectively. Green Party candidates Tamara Gun and Jamie Consue-gra earned 397 and 366 votes, or three and four percent, respectively.

Township Mayor Phyllis Marchand, a Democrat, said that the outcome reflected the township's approval of Miller's short tenure on the committee and of Enslin's years of service.

"It's a great night to be a Democrat," Miller said.

Marchand said the Democrats' success also showed citizens' support for the controversial deer-kill program.

"This is a referendum in support of the township's wildlife management program," she said.

"We did some very unpopular things that needed to be done," Enslin said in reference to the deer program. "Voters have chosen [us] based on principle."

Miller said his priorities on the council included providing housing for seniors, moderate income housing and working with the University to create facilities for local youths and seniors.

In the Township's 10th precinct, which includes some graduate student housing, Butler College and portions of Forbes College, voters favored Democrats by a slightly higher percentage than the mean of township voters. Enslin and Miller each won 32 percent of the vote in that precinct.