Howell primary: GOP challenger concedes, lawsuit against party-endorsed candidates remains

Alex N. Gecan, Asbury Park Press
·2 min read

HOWELL — While the township Republicans' slate of three chosen Township Council candidates has won the highest vote totals in Tuesday's primary, a court case to determine the validity of their ballot petitions remains open.

Susan Fischer, Fred Gasior and Ian Nadel carried the day with 2,660, 2,410 and 2,583 votes respectively, according to preliminary results from the Monmouth County Clerk. Challenger Michael Bernstein took in 946 votes.

The township Democrats' chosen slate ran unopposed, with J. Randy Bishop, incumbent Councilman John Bonevich and Denise King taking 1,047, 1,077 and 1,068 votes apiece.

"Obviously the outcome wasn't what we hoped for," Bernstein posted to Facebook, but nevertheless congratulated Fischer, Gasior and Bernstein. "Always fight the good fight."

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Mainline Republicans celebrated the vote count on Facebook.

"The Howell Republican team of Fred Gasior, Sue Fischer and Ian Nadel scored a massive and overwhelming election victory tonight in what was a clear validation of their message for Howell," the township Republican organization posted.

Regardless of the apparent win, a lawsuit seeking to block Fischer and Gasior's names from the ballots remains open on appeal.

John Hughes, a Howell resident and registered Democrat, filed a lawsuit in April alleging that the two Republicans had not gathered the necessary number of nominating petition signatures, and that the township had erred in accepting all three party's chosen candidates' signatures as a joint submission.

Judge Kathleen A. Sheedy rejected Hughes' assertions, confirming the party-endorsed Republicans' petitions as valid. Sheedy's ruling was appealed, and if it is overturned, a reversal could trigger a do-over of the primary.

Two incumbent Republicans, Suzanne Brennan and Pamela Richmond, are not seeking reelection. The two other seats on the five-member council, held by Democratic Mayor Theresa Berger and Republican Evelyn Malsbury O'Donnell, do not come up until 2024.

Alex N. Gecan covers local news and unsolved mysteries for the Asbury Park Press. You can reach him at 732-547-1365 or agecan@gannettnj.com, or follow him on Twitter @GeeksterTweets.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Howell NJ primary election results: GOP challenger concedes