NJ elections 2022: A look at the countywide races in Central Jersey
While the midterm Congressional races may be receiving the most attention this year, Central Jersey counties will have their own races for county commission and other constitutional offices on Tuesday.
Hunterdon County
Because of this spring's retirement of longtime county commissioner Matt Holt, there will be three seats up for election on the five-member board.
In Hunterdon, Republicans outnumber Democrats by a 41,646-to-29,123 margin with 34,200 unaffiliated voters.
Republican incumbents John Lanza, who has served on the board for three terms, and Zachary Rich, who is finishing his third term, are being challenged for three-year terms by Democrats Hope Cohen, chief operating officer of the Battery Conservancy in New York City, and Donald Becker, founder and president of Kardon Consulting.
Republican Jeff Kuhl, appointed to fill Holt's seat, is running for the unexpired term against Justin Balunsat, a sports coach at Hillsborough High School.
Incumbent Republican Frederick Brown, who has served as sheriff since 2010, is being challenged by Democrat Dominic Puzio, an investigator for the state.
Middlesex County
Republicans will once again be seeking to break the Democrats' hold on every countywide office in New Jersey's third most populous county where Democrats outnumber Republicans, 241,005 to 95,243 with 219,813 unaffiliated voters.
Running for three-year county commission terms are three incumbent Democrats – Charles Kenny, who has been on the governing body since 2013; Claribel Azcona-Barber, completing her first term, and Chanelle Scott McCullum, a commissioner since 2021.
They are being challenged by Republicans Joellen Arrabito and Gerald Shine, both making their second try for county office, and Martin Herrman, who has unsuccessfully run for mayor and a council seat in Monroe.
Democrat Mildred Scott, the first female sheriff in the county and the first Black sheriff in New Jersey, is being challenged by Brian Wojaczyk, a South Brunswick resident who is captain in the New Jersey National Guard.
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Somerset County
Democrats will be trying to maintain their hold on countywide offices as Somerset County, with changing demographics and an increasing population, has shifted from red to blue. Democrats now outnumber Republicans, 89,370 to 63,288, in a county that was once the heartland of Garden State Republicans. Unaffiliated voters total 95,718.
Melonie Morano, one of the five Democrats on the all-Democratic county commission, is running for a second term. Running against her is Amber Murad, a member of the Watchung Borough Board of Education.
Democrat Darrin Russo is running for his second three-year term as sheriff against Republican John Sheridan, a retired Hillsborough Police Department detective and head of the township's Office of Emergency Management.
Democrat Steve Peter, who started the blue wave in Somerset County with a victory over Republican Brett Radi, is running for his second five-year term as county clerk against Suzanne Maeder, a member of the Manville Borough Council.
Union County
With Democrats enjoying a 3-to-1 margin, Democrats are looking to keep possession of all the countywide offices in Union County. Democrats outnumber Republicans, 176,682 to 58,221 with 129,772 unaffiliated voters.
Running for reelection to three-year terms are Democrat County Commissioners Bette Jane Kowalski, who has been on the board since 2004, Sergio Granados, who is seeking his fourth term, and Rebecca Williams, running for her second term.
Running on the Republican ticket are Kenilworth resident Carmen Bucco, a small business owner and founder of Bucco's Rising Stars, a nonprofit, Vincent Rettino, a Westfield resident who is director of personnel in the Union Township School District, and Carlos Santos, a Mountainside resident who is a former iron worker.
Email: mdeak@mycentraljersey.com
Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ elections 2022: A look at Central Jersey county races
