Dems Gain Full Slate Against Twp. GOP

While the incumbent Republican candidates for Carolyn won Tuesday's primary without a contest, a second Democrat, David Ferdinand, gained enough write-in votes to place a full slate of two-party opponents on the November ballot.

The vote count from the s office was unofficial, and must be certified by the county. Clerk Denise Szabo said 14 percent of the township's registered voters, 2,416 out of 17,221, cast a ballot on Tuesday.

Gaziano, serving as deputy mayor this year, was top votegetter for results for any Township Committee candidate.

Gaziano, seeking her second term, received 1,674 votes, while her running mate, Township Committeeman John Malay, also former mayor, won 1,639 votes from the township's Republicans. The two were running unopposed for the GOP nomination for two, three-year seats that are coming up for election this November.

Democrat in November as a write-in candidate for Township Committee, already had filed to have his name included on Tuesday's primary ballot for this year's election. He received 375 votes from party supporters.

While the second available spot for Township Committee remained unfilled on the ballot, Democrat David Ferdinand gained 16 write-in votes unofficially. Szabo said 14 write-in votes were necessary to gain a spot for a write-in candidate for Township Committee on the November ballot.

Ferdinand is the township's Democratic Committee chairman. He did not seek the position last year.

In other results, received 1,177 votes from local party members for the party nomination for U.S. Congressman to serve New Jersey's district 7. Challenger received 693 votes in Bernards Township.

The Democratic candidate for U.S. Congress, Upendra J. Chivukula, received 357 votes.

Any of the candidates would be a new U.S. Congressional representative for Bernards, which at the end of this year will be redistricted out of the 11th district, now represented by Rodney Frelinghuysen. (R-11th district.)