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Green Party of New Jersey |
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Princeton Packet |
11/9/01 |
| By
David Campbell, Staff Writer Mayor Phyllis Marchand and her running mate, Casey Hegener, swept to victory in the race for two seats on the Princeton Township Committee on Tuesday night, winning 53 percent of the vote over two slates of challengers. But the Green Party candidates stole a little thunder this year, claiming 14 percent of the vote and a victory for party-building. "A political party has been born," Nick Mellis, Mercer County co-chair of the Green Party, told supporters at campaign headquarters Tuesday night. Mayor Marchand, the top vote-getter, won re-election to another three-year term with 2,727 votes, while Ms. Hegener followed with 2,617 votes. Republican Robert S. Willis received 1,647 votes. Michael Bonotto, Mr. Willis' running mate, won 1,619 votes. Green Party candidate Emily Cook garnered 699 votes, while her running mate, Jeff Gorman, received 680 votes. Vote totals include civilian absentee ballots. No military absentee ballots were cast this year. Mr. Bonotto accepted defeat graciously. "I want to thank all of our supporters and contributors who made it possible for our voices to be heard," he said. "I hope that in the near future our new Township Committee will take our ideas and comments to task." Mr. Willis said it was "a very courteous, civic and clean campaign." He said the Republicans will continue to work hard to provide the community with a choice on Township Committee. Mayor Marchand said this year's election for her was a referendum on deer management and the new municipal building on Witherspoon Street, controversial issues the Greens campaigned on in their bid to weaken solid Democratic control of the five-member Township Committee. She said it was "not a pleasant campaign," citing a broken ankle that limited her ability to campaign door-to-door, and attacks by the Green Party, some of which the mayor characterized as "personal." "Some charges in letters to the editor I thought were misinformed and unjustified," Mayor Marchand said. "I think in Princeton any negative campaigning would work against any campaign that used it." She said the Green Party challenge this year compelled voters to educate themselves on the issues, to "get the facts straight." "As the incumbent I expected my record to be analyzed, but I didn't expect to be attacked personally," the mayor said. "The Democratic campaign never lowered the standards I think are high in addressing the issues and the questions that people have." Mayor Marchand said she has not yet discussed whether she will retain her mayorship with her fellow Township Committee members. "I would like to remain mayor," she said. "But we haven't talked at all. I would never make an assumption." She said she intends to focus now on senior housing, traffic, growth management, recreation and "the continued attempts to have our community diverse and together." Ms. Hegener characterized this year's race as "the nastiest one I have seen in years." But she said that "the voters really, at a time of uncertainty, were very happy with their local leaders." Ms. Hegener said the strong showing of the Democrats indicated support of the deer-management plan and the "progress" toward completing the Township Hall. Ms. Cook, meanwhile, called the Green Party "the conscience" of the campaign this year. "As a novice, (the campaign) wasn't so hard because I knew we were right," said Ms. Cook, a newcomer to municipal politics. "We knew something was wrong with this town and we tried to do something about it." The Greens' campaign was critical of the new municipal building, which is over a year behind schedule due to alleged incompetence by a past contractor and a mold infestation. The Greens characterized the administration's deer-management program, which includes the use of sharpshooters to cull the deer herd, as inhumane and ineffective. Mr. Gorman said, "It was a really good fight," but said he believes the majority of voters cast ballots along party lines rather than on the issues. The Green Party failed to win a foothold in the municipality, but candidates said the campaign, though lost by a significant margin, was a victory for party-building. "We really gave them a scare, folks," Ms. Cook said, referring to the Democrats. "This campaign kept them worried. Next time, more (voters) will cross party lines, and that's what we're after." She added, "We're not going anywhere. This is the beginning of something that's going to continue." Ms. Cook said she knew the odds against winning as a third-party candidate, but called the Green Party's vote totals "a good percentage for a grass-roots campaign." Carl Mayer, who ran on the Green Party ticket in the 12th Congressional District last year, said that in many of the township's 14 districts "the Green Party was the second party in town, replacing the Republican Party." Mr. Mayer claimed the Green Party set the issues for the campaign, and kept the Democrats on the defensive. The Green Party garnered more votes than Republicans in three districts, and nearly tied them in a fourth. Of the 9,857 registered voters in Princeton Township, 4,939 voted in Tuesday's municipal election, or 50 percent of voters, not including absentee ballots. Last year, Democrats garnered 58 percent of the vote for a Township Committee seat in a presidential election year that drew a 71-percent voter turnout. Voter turnout was 29 percent in 1999, and 53 percent in 1998. (c) Princeton Packet |
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