By JOHN T. WARD
Two Democratic challengers won seats on the Fair Haven council in Tuesday’s election.The victories by Meg Chrisner-Keefe and Mike McCue against Republicans Jon Peters and Jacquie Rice mean the governing body will be split 3-3 along party lines in 2020.
According to the Monmouth County Clerk’s website, with all six voting districts reporting, the vote tally was:
Meghan Chrisner-Keefe (D) 998
Mike McCue (D) 927
Jon Peters (R) 595
Jacquie Rice (R) 597
The Democrats captured all six districts, according to the posted results, which don’t include mail-in and provisional ballots.
First-time candidates Chrisner-Keefe, a lawyer, and McCue, a teacher, will join fellow Democrat Chris Rodriguez on the dais in a town where Republicans have long been the controlling party. Mayor Ben Lucarelli, who does not vote on council matters except in the event of a tie, is a Republican.
Peters, who serves as council president, has been on the governing body for 14 years, while Rice was seeking her first full, three-year term after serving this year in one-year unexpired term.
