By JOHN T. WARD
Only eleven percent of Monmouth County’s registered voters participated in Tuesday’s Democratic and Republic primaries, with surprise outcomes hard to find on the Greater Red Bank Green.
According to results posted by the county clerk, Red Bank Mayor Pasquale Menna, running unopposed as he seeks his fourth four-year term, garnered 97 percent of the Democratic endorsement.
Thirty-two voters wrote in the names of their choices for Republican mayoral candidates, as the party declined to mount an organizational challenge. GOP Chairman Michael Clancy said the winner was Pearl Lee, who claimed “more than the 13 she needed to get on the ballot” for November.
With two seats up for grabs on the Red Bank council, and Republican incumbents Mark Taylor and Mike Whelan sitting out the race, Democrats Kate Triggiano and Hazim Yassin will square off against Clancy and Alison Gregory, as well as Sue Viscomi, a former GOP stalwart who’s running as an independent.
Joshua Welle of Rumson won the Democrats’ nod over Jim Keady in the fourth Congressional district, garnering 58 percent of the vote. Along the way, Welle won his hometown, but Keady beat him in Fair Haven,(248 to 209), Little Silver (264-236) and Shrewsbury (153-115).
Welle will face Representative Chris Smith, who ran unopposed in the GOP primary in pursuit of his 20th term in DC.
In the sixth Congressional district, incumbent Frank Pallone captured 88 percent of the Democratic vote. Republican challenger Richard Pezzullo was unopposed.
Incumbent Senator Robert Menendez secured a primary win, though challenger Lisa McCormick gave him a scare. McCormick outpolled or tied Menendez in a number of districts locally, including Red Bank’s first and seventh. She lost Shrewsbury by just one vote.
In the November election, Menendez will face Republican Bob Hugin, who captured 87 percent of the votes in Monmouth County polling.
Other results:
FAIR HAVEN: Running unopposed in the primary, incumbent Mayor Ben Lucarelli and two Republican candidates for full council terms, Betsy Koch and Jim Banahan, cruised to victory. The Democrats didn’t muster a mayoral candidate; there were 15 write-ins for the position. Carolyn Williams and Cameron Spector will vie for the council.
Also open is one one-year-unexpired terms. Republican Jacqueline Rice and Democrat Evan Hughes are the nominees.
LITTLE SILVER: The two Republican contenders for council, A.J. McNally and Christian Smith, were unopposed, as were Democrats Laura Clark and Stephanie Keenan.
RUMSON: Incumbent councilmen Mark Rubin and John Conklin were unopposed in their party for new terms. The Democrats didn’t have a candidate; 83 voters wrote in their own.
SHREWSBURY: Republican Councilman Erik Anderson was unopposed in his quest to succeed Donald Burden as mayor. So was Democrat David Dragonetti.
Republicans Jeffrey DeSalvo and Donald Eddy will face Democrats Amanda Ngo and Carol Loeffler for council.
