Princeton voters overwhelmingly supported the Democratic team of Eve Niedergang with 6,828 votes and Dwaine Williamson with 6,565 votes in the race for two seats with three-year terms on Princeton Council, according to unofficial results at press time. Current Council members Heather Howard and Lance Liverman will be stepping down on January 1.

Though her Council bid fell short, Republican Lishian “Lisa” Wu won 2,074 votes, bolstered by her strong campaign to fight property tax increases. Democrats will continue to hold all six seats on Council in the coming year.

In the hotly contested election for three seats on the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education (BOE), Brian J. McDonald, Daniel J. Dart, and incumbent Betsy Kalber Baglio prevailed against strong opposition from incumbent Dafna Kendal and Mary Clurman.  McDonald won 3,895 votes, Dart 3,611, Baglio 3,303, Kendal 3,207, and Clurman 3,157.

McDonald, Dart, and Baglio will begin new three-year terms on January 1, as BOE President Patrick Sullivan vacates his seat. The ten-member BOE will elect a new president for the coming year.

A $27M school facilities bond referendum, scheduled to go before voters on December 11, was the source of much debate throughout the BOE campaign.The referendum price tag was reduced from an original proposal of $129.7M after significant resistance from Clurman, Dart, and others. The BOE will be seeking further public funding for renovations, upgrades, and new construction in the coming year.

In the race to represent New Jersey in the United States Senate, Democratic incumbent Bob Menendez with about 54 percent of the votes held on to defeat Republican challenger Bob Hugin with about 43 percent.

In the 12th District election for U.S. House of Representatives, incumbent Democrat Bonnie Watson Coleman coasted to victory with about 71 percent to about 29 percent for her Republican opponent Daryl Kipnis.

Elected to the Mercer County Board of Chosen Freeholders were Democrats Ann M. Cannon, 69,688 votes, Pasquale “Pat” Colavita, 69,070 votes, and Samuel T. Frisby Sr., 66,701 votes.  Also-rans included Republicans Michael Silvestri, 32,341 votes, Mary R. Walker, 32,052, and Cynthia Larsen, 32,393.  Elected to a one-year term, running unopposed, was Democrat Nina D. Melker.