Township elects Democratic candidates

A measure to consolidate the Princeton Borough and Princeton Township into one municipality passed in a landslide in the Township.

Township voters voted overwhelmingly in support of merging with the Borough. Of ballots cast in the Township, 85 percent voted yes on consolidation while 15 percent voted no. In raw vote counts, 3,542 voters supported consolidation and 604 voters opposed it.

Because the referendum passed with a majority in both the Borough and Township, the two municipalities will go through a transition period over the coming year. Beginning in 2013, the towns will constitute a single municipality under a Borough form of government.

The Borough and Township have voted on similar consolidation referenda several times in the past few decades. Most recently, in 1996, Township voters voted in favor of consolidation, but Borough voters voted against it.

Voters reelected incumbent Democrats Bernard Miller and Sue Nemeth to the Township Committee. Miller received 2,739 votes, and Nemeth received 2,682.

Republican candidates Geoffrey Aton and Mark Scheibner received 1,280 and 1,277 votes, respectively.

The Township voted overwhelmingly for all three Democratic candidates to represent the 16th district in the state legislature, all of whom lost.

In the state Senate race, 65 percent of Township voters voted for Maureen Vella, while only 31 percent voted for incumbent Christopher Bateman.

In the race for General Assembly, 64 percent voted for both Marie Corfield and Joe Camarota, while only 30 percent voted to reelect Peter Biondi, and 28 percent voted for newcomer Jack Ciattarelli.

All results are currently unofficial. The Mercer County Board of Elections will release official results, including votes submitted through mail-in absentee ballots, today.