Dems Sweep Fanwood Election

Thirty steps and close to 2,000 total votes separated the winners and losers of Fanwood's mayoral and council elections Tuesday night. At on South Avenue, Mayor Colleen Mahr, Councilman Russell Huegel, and Councilman-Elect Kevin Boris, surrounded by dozens of local supporters, celebrated a Democratic sweep of borough ballot boxes.

Across the street in , Republican mayoral candidate Joe Britt took in his defeat, alongside council candidates Jason Benedict and Nicole Cole. 

"The important thing was we gave the people a choice," Britt said. "We ran a good campaign. We're glad that we made the effort."

Mahr clinched her third four-year term as mayor with 1,158 votes — more than twice the votes cast for Britt — according to preliminary results tallied at Borough Hall.

Boris, who last year lost by only 39 votes, defeated Cole, his next-closest opponent, by 488 votes. Huegel won election to his second, three-year term on the council with 1,325 votes. Together, the trio won by some of the widest margins in recent memory.

"This was a big, decisive campaign for us. I really think this was a historic vote," Mahr said. "We went through a hurricane together. We went through a snowstorm together. In what was supposedly an off year, the voters came out."

Looking ahead, Mahr continued, "I want to see the redevelopment that we started – I want to see it completed. I want to see shared services." 

Earlier in the night, Mahr, Huegel and Boris had gathered at Borough Hall with Assemblywoman (and former Fanwood mayor) Linda Stender and a small group of supporters to watch the results be delivered and tallied. As the Democrats' victory grew more assured, the candidates could hardly contain their enthusiasm, cheering, hugging, and exchanging high-fives. 

"I'm ecstatic," Boris said with a grin. "After losing last year by 39 votes, it's nice to see the hard work pay off. I'm looking forward to the challenge." Spotting a small bowl of Halloween chocolates nearby, he said, "I'm going to take some candy," then walked out the door to head to the party at Fabio's. 

One hour after the polls closed, Fanwood's Republican candidates walked across South Avenue to personally congratulate their opponents. Leaving the relative quiet of Club West for the festive celebration inside Fabio's, Britt, Cole, and Benedict shook hands with Fanwood's Democrats and traded jokes about the campaign.

"It was a professional campaign," Cole said afterward, noting that it lacked acrimony, "which is just right for a town like Fanwood." 

She, Britt and Benedict thanked their families, friends and supporters. They said they have set their sights on future campaigns and, in the short term, supporting whichever presidential candidate the GOP nominates for 2012.

"I'll definitely stay involved," Cole said. "I got plenty of time. Whatever I do, it will always be in Fanwood." 

The preliminary results, as tallied by Borough Hall on Tuesday night: