Democrats Sweep Borough and Township

Matthew Hersh

Democrats swept the Princeton Borough and Princeton Township municipal elections Tuesday night in the Princetons’ first fully contested vote since 2005.

With unofficial tallies reporting in all 14 districts in Princeton Township, the incumbent Democratic slate of Committeeman Arden “Lance” Liverman and Mayor Phyllis Marchand took just over 64 percent of 6,758 votes cast, handily defeating Republican challengers Esther Mills and Cindy Randazzo.

Mr. Liverman, winning a second three-year Committee term, and Ms. Marchand, securing an eighth term, won 13 out of 14 districts, with Ms. Mills and Ms. Randazzo edging out the incumbents in the Township’s eighth voting district.

“I can’t tell you how humbled I am by this victory,” Ms. Marchand said at a campaign party at Conte’s, the same locale of the Republican gathering. Mr. Liverman credited Ms. Marchand as a “great running partner.”

In the Borough, Democrat Andrew Koontz, elected to a second full term, and Democrat Roger Martindell, elected to a seventh term, secured more than two-thirds of the vote, taking eight out of nine voting districts over Republican challengers Linda Sipprelle and Joseph Codega Jr., with Ms. Sipprelle winning in district eight.

But the legitimacy of Mr. Codega’s candidacy was in doubt Tuesday night, as the Republican, a Princeton University senior, while registered to vote in Princeton Borough and a Borough resident upon filing his candidacy in April, has since moved to a part of campus located in the Township. Residency requirements would nullify Mr. Codgea’s candidacy as he is no longer a Borough resident, according to Borough officials. Mr. Codega was unavailable for comment.

Borough Mayor Mildred Trotman, a Democrat running unopposed, easily won reelection.

Early returns Tuesday night indicated that State Assembly Democratic incumbents Reed Gusciora and Bonnie Watson Coleman won in the Princetons, and that Democratic incumbent state Senator Shirley Turner won in Princeton Borough and Township. Democratic incumbent County Executive Brian Hughes also took the Princeton vote.

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