Democrats Stay in County Freeholder Spots, Assembly

Linda Stender and Jerry Green will remain in their roles in the District 22 Assembly.

The two Democrats won by a few points in the Nov. 3 election, which pitted them against Scotch Plains former mayor Martin Marks and Scotch Plains resident Bo Vastine.

Stender scored the most points in the district, at 19,441, or 28.47 percent of the vote. Green followed with 18,894 votes, or 27.67 percent. Marks came in several points behind, with 15,427 votes, or 22.59 percent. Vastine had 14,514 votes, or 21.26 percent.

In the Freeholder spots, Fanwoodian Democrat Alexander Mirabella, Deborah Scanlon and Mohamed Jollah all won. Scanlon led the votes with 57,359, or 21.02 percent of the vote. Mirabella followed with 57,193, or 20.96 percent of the vote. Jollah earned 53,866 votes, or 19.74 percent. 

For Republicans Anthony Sytko and Nicole Cole, the loss was disappointing, but not discouraging.

"We came within a whisker, just a hair, of unseating the county Democratic machine," Sytko said. "I'm not disheartened, and no one in this room should be. If I had to lose to get Christie to win, I'll take that everyday of the week and twice on Sunday."

Sytko earned 47,842 of the votes, or 17.54 percent. Cole had 49,097 votes, or 18 percent.

"We've done an amazing job this year," Cole said. "I don't regret anything. I feel great about this campaign, and hope to be back next year. I'll just keep trying until I win."