Registered Republicans and Democrats may cast their votes today (Tuesday, June 4) until 8 pm to select the candidates who will represent each party in the general election on November 5.
Two Montgomery residents — Mark Caliguire and Christine Madrid — are seeking election to the New Jersey General Assembly to represent District 16. The third candidate is Roger Forest Locandro, a conservative from Hunterdon County. The three are vying for two spots on the November ballot.
The winners will run against Assembly incumbents Andrew Zwicker (D) of Kingston and Roy Freiman (D) of Hillsborough.
Madrid served as a Montgomery Township committeewoman from 2012 to 2018, and as mayor in 2015 and again for three months in 2018. She lost her bid for re-election to the township committee in November. She served as director of the Division of Temporary Disability and Family Leave Insurance at the state Department of Labor under Gov. Chris Christie, and was appointed mayor in August when Mark Conforti resigned to move to Florida.
Caliguire, also a former Montgomery Township mayor, had served on the Somerset County Board of Freeholders since 2011. He lost his bid for re-election in 2018. Caliguire also was a 2017 Republican candidate for New Jersey General Assembly, losing to Freiman.
The third candidate, Locandro, 24, is a recent Rutgers University graduate with a degree in environmental and business economics. He is a member of the Hunterdon County Agricultural Development Board, and has been a volunteer fireman since he was 17 years old.
The Democrats have an uncontested primary — so Freiman and Zwicker will appears as the candidates on the November ballot.
The primary battle for the Democrats’ is the nominee for Somerset County Sheriff. Darren Russo, a retired Franklin Township police lieutenant, ran unsuccessfully against retiring Sheriff Frank Provenzano three years ago. He lost by a narrow margin. He is running again Somerville resident Arthur R. Atkins, a former Bridgewater police officer, to be the Democrat candidate on the November ballot.
The Republicans also have a contested primary for Somerset County Sherif. Provenzano has endorsed North Plainfield Police Chief Bill Parenti as his replacement; Parenti has the backing of the Somerset County GOP. Opposing Parenti is Tim Pino, a former captain in the Somerset County Sheriff’s office K9-unit. The Somerset County sheriff’s police union has endorsed Pino.
The Republicans also have a contest in the race for Somerset County Freeholder, which will have one seat available in the November election.
Incumbent Republican Pat Walsh, deputy director of the Somerset County Freeholders from Green Brook, is being challenged by Robert Quinn of Franklin, who unsuccessfully ran for Assembly in 2017.
The winner of the GOP Primary will be running against Democrat Melonie Marano, a former Green Brook mayor, who along with Russo, have been endorsed by the Somerset County Democratic Committee.
Walsh and Marano faced off in the 2007 Freeholder race, won by Walsh.
Running unopposed for reelection in the 16th Assembly District are Democrat incumbents Andrew Zwicker and Roy Freiman.
The GOP candidates for 16th District Assembly are running unopposed in the Primary - former Montgomery mayor and Somerset County Freeholder Mark Caliguire, who ran unsuccessfully against Freiman for Assembly two years ago, and former Montgomery mayor Christine Madrid.
Mail-in ballots can be returned in person until the polls close at 8 pm on election night. Ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and received by the Election Board within 48 hours after the polls close also will be accepted, according to Somerset County Clerk Steve Peter.
