Montgomery and Rocky Hill Voters Choose 3 New School Board Members, Democrats Retain Seats on Township Committee

Breaking News

Winners were willing and able to attend public forums to answer voters' questions.

By Barbara A. Preston for The Montgomery News | Nov 4, 2026 at 11 am (Updated at 6 pm)

Montgomery and Rocky Hill voters decisively elected three new school board members on Tuesday, and Montgomery voters elected two incumbents to Township Committee.

All five winners had agreed to attend candidates’ forums sponsored by the League of Women Voters of the Princeton Area during their campaigns. The unsuccessful candidates had all declined, or had not responded to the invitations.

Preliminary, unofficial results from the Somerset County Clerk’s office released on Nov. 4 at 10:53 am show that Montgomery Deputy Mayor Patricia Taylor Todd–D defeated opponent George DeSanctis–R with a 67.5% margin — 6,078 votes to 2,908 votes.

Incumbent Douglas Herring–D defeated challenger Chris Venis–R with a 69% margin — 6,183 votes to 2,772. This seat is a 2-year term to fill the unexpired seat of Vincent Barragan-D, who resigned from Township Committee in June to move to Princeton.

With the blue wave in national politics during the midterms, and local voters' strong Democratic Party affiliation, the GOP candidates in town had a steep curve to climb this year. Voters also did not have a chance to meet the candidates in a public forum.

Montgomery School Board Race

In the non-partisan school board election, nine candidates ran for three seats on the nine-member board this year and voters had limited opportunities to hear directly from the candidates.

Only three of the nine agreed to attend a candidates forum to take questions directly from voters at the Montgomery Library. The three who accepted — Sharon Marro, Kara Alaimo, and John A. Sangiovanni — won by a sizable margin.

The high vote getters, as of Nov. 4 at 11 am, are:  Sharon Marro (3,535), her running mate Kara Alaimo (3,355), and solo candidate John A. Sangiovanni (3,101).

School board member Christina Harris, the only incumbent who ran for re-election, had served on the board for six years. She lost by a significant margin, with just 1,852 votes.

The Montgomery News reached out to Marro, Alaimo, and Sangiovanni for a quote for this article.

Alaimo said, “I’m proud to have run our campaign with integrity and to have received such overwhelming community support. The fact that Montgomery voters selected the three candidates who made themselves available for the forum makes clear that our community is seeking board members who are transparent about what they stand for and how they’ll vote, and I very much hope this lesson carries over into future elections. I look forward to working hard to ensure that we maintain the outstanding schools our students deserve.”

Click graphic above to review periodic vote updates from mail-in voters.

For John Sangiovanni, the fourth time is a charm. This is the fourth time he has run for the Montgomery School Board.

He told The Montgomery News: " I would like to thank all the voters for your support. Taxes and inflation are on everyone's mind, Democrats and Republicans alike. I plan to give it 100% and fight hard for this chance to serve on the board.  Asking the questions, making the changes, and improving our financial standing is my drive. The school budget amounts to almost 70% of our township budget. How we spend it should be taken seriously."  

Township Committee candidates made the following comments:

GOP Candidate Chris Venis told The Montgomery News: " I want to sincerely thank the residents of Montgomery and the Republican Party for their support of George [DeSanctis] and me throughout this campaign. We are truly grateful to everyone who stood with us, volunteered their time, and believed in our vision for Montgomery.

"Although the election results did not favor us, I am proud of what we have accomplished over the past two years. Together, we have helped change the direction of Montgomery, and the progress we have made should not be overlooked.

"National issues clearly played a significant role in this election and shaped the decisions of many voters. Unfortunately, those issues also impacted candidates further down the ballot, including our local races. While this chapter of our service may be coming to a close, our commitment to Montgomery is not. We will continue to stand up for our residents, advocate for responsible local government, and fight for the future of our community. Thank you again for your trust, encouragement, and support. It has been an honor and we look forward to continuing the work on behalf of the people of Montgomery. Our commitment to Montgomery does not end with an election."

Doug Herring, who was elected along with his Democratic running mate, said: "Thank you, Montgomery. Patricia [Taylor Todd] and I are honored to keep serving this community, and we'll keep listening, keeping you informed, and putting the township first."