By Donald Gilpin

Incumbents Michele Tuck-Ponder and Beth Behrend, and new candidate Jean Durbin are currently leading over the five other challengers in the heated race for three positions on the Princeton Public Schools Board of Education (BOE).

At last count on November 5, Tuck-Ponder, currently BOE vice president, had received 5,032 votes (19.74 percent of the votes cast in Tuesday’s General Election), Behrend, BOE president, had 4,869 votes (19.10 percent), and Durbin was in third place with 4,011 votes (15.73 percent).

 Among the other contenders, Adam Bierman had garnered 2,792 votes (10.95 percent), Paul Johnson 2,674 votes (10.49 percent), Karen Lemon 2,465 (9.67 percent), Bill Hare 2,208 (8.66 percent), and Hendricks Davis 1,350 (5.30 percent). Each voter designated three choices for the three open BOE seats.

Also on the ballot, Mark Freda was the winner in the uncontested race for Princeton mayor, and incumbents David Cohen and Leticia Fraga regained their seats in the uncontested election for Princeton Council.

The Mercer County Board of Elections will continue to accept ballots that arrive in the mail through November 10, as long as they were postmarked by 8 p.m. on November 3, with November 20 the last day to count ballots in New Jersey. The results will be official when certified by the county clerk on November 23.