Election Guide 2009

After six months, thousands of dollars, countless mailers, debates, public speeches and knocking on doors, Election Day 2009 is here and the decision is in your hands.

Starting Tuesday at 6 a.m., voters across Scotch Plains and Fanwood will be asked to pick elected officials to govern the town, county and state over the next few years. Patch has put together the following candidate guide to provide thumbnail sketches of the candidates in Tuesday's election. For the candidates in opposed races for town offices, the information is contained in a link to a questionnaire filled out by the candidate. 

Polls open at 6 a.m. Tuesday and stay open until 8 p.m. If you are in line at 8 p.m. you are allowed to vote. Voting by mail has closed, so all ballots need to be dropped off at the county clerk's office in Elizabeth if you wish to use this option.

For a list of polling places for Scotch Plains, click here. For Fanwood, click here.

One-Year Term (Council candidates typically serve four-year terms, but this year's winner will carry out the final year of the seat that was left open when Nancy Malool was elected mayor).

The Township Council is the legislative body of town government. Responsibilities include law making (legislative) and policy making. The Mayor and Councilmembers are the only elected officials in Township government. Council members participate in council and committee meetings.

Republican Dominick Bratti

Democrat Theresa Mullen

Three-Year Term 

Like in Scotch Plains, the Borough of Fanwood Council is the legislative body of the municipality and may pass, adopt, amend and repeal any ordinance or where permitted, any resolution, for any purpose required for the government of the municipality, and also controls and regulates the finances of the municipality. The Council meets every second Tuesday of the month.

Republican Robert Manduca

Republican Michael Szuch

Democrat Donna Dolce

Democrat David Valian

Governor of New Jersey

Four-Year Term (Jan. 19, 2010 - Jan. 21, 2014)

The Governor of New Jersey is the state's chief executive officer. Considered the most powerful governorship in the United States, the governor proposes the state budget, signs and vetoes legislation and administers the operations of state government.

Democratic Nominee Jon Corzine: Democrat Jon Corzine is the incumbent governor of New Jersey. He was first elected in 2005 and is seeking a second term. If re-elected, he will be term limited out of office at the end of a second term. Prior to being elected governor, he served five years as a United States Senator representing New Jersey. Prior to entering public service, he worked professionally at Goldman Sachs, including a stint as chairman of the company. He is a former chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. A resident of Hoboken, Corzine previously resided in Summit. Corzine has been basing his campaign on his record in office, citing his work on economic policy, along with health and education policy. He has been endorsed by The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Record, The Trenton Times, The Jersey Journal, The New York Daily News and the Gloucester County Times.

Republican Chris Christie: A resident of Mendham, Republican Chris Christie is a former United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. He held the top federal prosecutor's post from 2002 to 2008 in the administration of former President George W. Bush. While federal prosecutor, he was known for his work in corruption prosecutions. During the 1990s, he served one three-year term as a Morris County Freeholder. He has unsuccessfully run for the General Assembly and for re-election as county freeholder. Christie's campaign has been centered on his record as U.S. Attorney, along with saying that the incumbent has overtaxed state residents. He has been endorsed by the Courier-News, Home News Tribune, Courier-Post, Press of Atlantic City, Asbury Park Press, Daily Record, New York Post, Burlington County Times and The Trentonian.

Independent Candidate Chris Daggett: The most serious independent gubernatorial candidate for governor in 12 years, Daggett has been running a campaign based on environmental and economic issues. Daggett served in the administration of former Gov. Tom Kean in the 1980s as deputy chief of staff and commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection. While serving as deputy chief of staff, he focused on education issues for Gov. Kean. During the administration of former President Ronald Reagan, he served as regional administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, overseeing federal environmental policy and enforcement in New Jersey, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He has been endorsed by the Sierra Club, the Star Ledger and the Express Times.

Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey (Elected on Ticket with Governor)

Four-Year Term (Jan. 19, 2010 - Jan. 21, 2014)

A newly created position, the Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey is the first in line of succession to the governorship. The duties of the position will be defined by the governor. The lieutenant governor can be assigned any of the duties given to the governor and can also be given a Cabinet position, with the exception of the office of state attorney general. In the event of the temporary incapacitation of the governor or the governor's absence from the state, the lieutenant governor will serve as the state's acting governor. In the event of a vacancy in the governor's office, the lieutenant governor will serve as acting governor until a special election is held for the remainder of the term. The office was created in 2005 in response to the gubernatorial vacancies following the resignations of Governors Whitman and McGreevey.

Democratic Nominee Loretta Weinberg: A state senator from Bergen County, Weinberg has served in the State Legislature since the 1990s. She has been a senator since 2005 and previously served as an assemblywoman from 1992 to 2005. She is a former councilwoman in Teaneck and a former assistant county administrator in Bergen County. She unsuccessfully ran for Bergen County Executive in the 1990s and is known for being a reform Democrat. As lieutenant governor she intends to focus on family related issues, including education, health and human services.

Republican Nominee Kim Guadagno: Guadagno serves as the sheriff of Monmouth County, a position she was elected to in 2007. As sheriff she oversees the county's largest law enforcement agency. A former federal prosecutor, she also was deputy director of the state's criminal justice division. While a prosecutor, she prosecuted several public corruption cases, including several of the largest in New Jersey history. She was an elected town commissioner in Monmouth Beach, overseeing the Department of Public Works. As lieutenant governor she intends to focus on economic development and regulatory reform.

Independent Candidate Frank Esposito: A professor at Kean University, Esposito worked in the administration of former Gov. Tom Kean on education issues, including writing the state's charter school law. He served as interim president of Kean University, along with several other administrative roles at the college. As lieutenant governor he intends to focus on education and higher education policy.

New Jersey General Assembly - District 22 (Vote for Two)

Two-Year Term (Jan. 12, 2010 - Jan. 10, 2012)

One of two chambers of the State Legislature, the General Assembly consists of 80 members elected from two member districts statewide. Scotch Plains-Fanwoodis located in District 22, which consists of towns in Middlesex, Somerset, and Union counties.

Democratic Party

Linda Stender of Fanwood: Stender is currently serving full-time in her third term in the General Assembly representing District 22. Prior to that, she served on the Union County Board of Freeholders from 1994-2002; Mayor of the Borough of Fanwood, from 1992-95, and on the Fanwood Borough Council, from 1988-90. She was also a candidate for Congress in 2006 and 2008. Other professional experience includes her work as a foundation director/volunteer coordinator for Runnells Hospital.

Jerry Green of Plainfield: Green is currently serving full-time in his ninth term in the assembly representing District 22. He has also served as the SpeakerPro Tempore since 2008, and was the Deputy Speaker Pro Tempore from 2004 to 2007, and the Deputy Speaker from 2002 to 2003. Prior to that, he was a member of the Union County Board of Freeholders from 1989-91 and 1982-84. He was the chair in 1990. Green is also a lifelong  self-employed business consultant.

Republican Party

Martin Marks of Scotch Plains: Marks is an endodontist and former Scotch Plains mayor. Marks served as mayor of the township from 2000 to 2008, and prior to that was a councilman and a member of the planning board and environmental commission. He was previously a candidate for the United States House of Representatives, District 7, in 2008, and for the New Jersey State Senate, District 22, in 2003.  The Courier News has endorsed Marks and his running mate in this year's election.

Bo Vastine of Scotch Plains: Vastine is the director of sales at order-management-system vendor Advanced Financial Applications. Vastine lived in Plainfield for many years before moving to Scotch Plains. He is originally from Texas.

Union County Surrogate

Five-Year Term (Jan. 1, 2010 - Dec. 31, 2014)

The county surrogate is a constitutional officer of the state who is empowered to handle probate issues in the county. The surrogate probates and administers estates, establishes trusts and guardianships and processes adoptions. While both candidates this year are lawyers, the state does not require county surrogates to hold law liceneses.

Democratic Party

James LaCorte of Elizabeth: Currently completing his second term as county surrogate, LaCorte was an attorney before entering public office. In addition to the constitutional duties of his office, he has been active in speaking countywide about probate issues.

Republican Party

Art Zapoloski of Linden: An attorney, with a practice in Linden, this is Zapoloski's first bid for public office. He recently retired as a colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He was on active duty in the Air Force before joining the Reserves.

Union County Freeholder (Vote for Three)

Three-Year Term (Jan. 1, 2010 - Dec. 31, 2012)

The Board of Chosen Freeholders is the chief governing body of Union County. The Board appoints a county manager to manage the operations of state government, approves county laws, oversees county departments and approves the county budget.

Democratic Party

Alexander Mirabella of Fanwood: First elected as a freeholder in 1997, Mirabella is completing his fourth term in office. A business executive professionally, he served two terms as a councilman in Roselle Park in the 1990s, including service as council president. He is presently freeholder board chairman, an office he also held in 2001 and 2006. His wife, Phyllis, is a former councilwoman in Roselle Park.

Deborah Scanlon of Union Township: First elected as a freeholder in 1997, Scanlon is completing her fourth term in office. A paralegal professionally, she served as the freeholder board chairwoman in 2003. She is a former member of the Board of Education in Union Township, where she headed the board's finance committee. Her husband, Patrick, is a former Mayor of Union Township.

Mohamed Jalloh of Roselle: An attorney, Jalloh is seeking his first public office in this election. He has worked as an assistant county counsel and has been active in Democratic politics in the county.

Republican Party

Anthony Sytko of Garwood: An attorney, Sytko is serving his first term as a councilman in Garwood. First elected in 2007, he serves as chairman of the borough's buildings and grounds committee. He briefly served on the borough's Board of Education in 2005 and twice ran unsuccessfully for the Borough Council.

Nicole Cole of Fanwood: A first time candidate for elective office, Cole is an attorney by profession. She works in private practice in Cranford and previously worked for the State Senate Republican Caucus in Trenton. This is her first run for elective office.

Independent Ticket

Hope Thompson of Plainfield: A resident of Plainfield, Thompson is running as part on an independent ticket centered on issues surrounding the closing of Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield. This is her first run for elective office.

Karen Gielen of Scotch Plains: A retired nurse from Muhelnberg Hospital in Plainfield, Geilen is a first time candidate for elective office. She is running on a platform based on the closing of Muhlenberg Hospital. This is her first run for elective office.