ELECTION 2015: Now Brick Council Race Begins In Earnest

Nine candidates will be vying for the four contested seats on the Brick Township Council on the November ballot, after incumbent councilman Bob Moore filed his petition to run as an independent.

The filing deadline for independent candidates was 4 p.m. Tuesday, in the midst of primary polling for Democrats and Republicans.

Moore had announced he would be running as an independent at an April council meeting, after he was left off the Democrats’ ticket in the primary filings. He said he was left off the council slate in retaliation for his refusal to vote along party lines nearly two years ago, when the Democrats wanted to replace township clerk Lynnette Iannarone with Kathy Russell, a Democrat.

In Tuesday’s Democratic primary, incumbent Susan Lydecker was the top vote-getter, receiving 523 of the 1,975 votes cast. Andrea Zapcic, serving the final year of what was now Mayor John G. Ducey’s council term, received 497 votes. Arthur Halloran, who replaced Moore on the Democrats’ ticket, received 481 votes, and incumbent councilman James T. Fozman received 465 votes. There were nine write-in ballots cast.

In the Republican primary, former councilman Dan Toth was the top vote-getter, with 818 votes. Frank Pannucci Jr. received 799 while Michael R. Conti received 797. Pannucci and Conti are members of the Board of Education. There were 792 votes for Charles D. Bacon and 10 write-in votes cast. Republicans cast 3,216 ballots in the Brick council primary.