District 2 voters entering the Independent Engine Company house on Mechanic Street Tuesday morning. (Photo by Peter Lindner. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
[SEE CORRECTION BELOW]
Red Bank’s Democrats maintained their lock on the borough’s governing body with two decisive wins for council Tuesday.
Juanita Lewis and local party chairman Ed Zipprich defeated Republicans Grace Cangemi and Joe Mizzi, whose campaign lite strategy had opponents and some voters scratching their heads about their whereabouts in the race.
Neither Mizzi nor Cangemi, who were said to be marking election night in Freehold, could be reached for immediate comment.
“We have a lot of work to do, and we can’t do it without our team,” a triumphant Zipprich, who topped the field of four, told supporters gathered in a storefront on West Front Street.
Lewis, professing a preference for work over public speaking, thanked “those who decided the work I have started is worth continuing.”
After he wrote the last figures from the local districts on a running tally board, former Mayor Ed McKenna, who frequently taunts his opponents, jabbed his middle finger into the air.
The Democrats will have to find a replacement for departing Councilwoman Kathy Horgan, [CORRECTION: Horgan’s council term ends in two years, not this year] who opted to run for 11th District State Assembly and, with slatemates Vin Gopal and Ray Santiago, came up short against incumbent Republicans, State Senator Jennifer Beck and Assembly members Mary Pat Angelini and Caroline Casagrande.
Here are the council race results:
| Vote Count | Percent | |
| REP – Mary G. Cangemi | 922 | 23.74% |
| REP – Joseph Mizzi | 808 | 20.80% |
| DEM – Juanita Lewis | 1,034 | 26.62% |
| DEM – Edward Zipprich | 1,111 | 28.60% |
| Write-In | 9 | 0.23% |
| Total | 3,884 | 100.00% |
And here’s how the 11th district race played out:
| Vote Count | Percent | |
| REP – Jennifer Beck | 20,030 | 56.55% |
| DEM – Raymond Santiago | 15,343 | 43.32% |
| Write-In | 45 | 0.13% |
| Total | 35,418 | 100.00% |
| Vote Count | Percent | |
| REP – Mary Pat Angelini | 18,302 | 26.37% |
| REP – Caroline Casagrande | 18,558 | 26.74% |
| DEM – Vin Gopal | 15,263 | 21.99% |
| DEM – Kathleen Horgan | 14,934 | 21.52% |
| – Daniel Jacobson | 2,323 | 3.35% |
| Write-In | 31 | 0.04% |
| Total | 69,411 | 100.00% |
