Republicans Win In Clark, Dems Win In Garwood: Official Results

CLARK/GARWOOD, NJ — The tallies in the Nov. 3 elections on the Union County website were official as of Friday. Here is what the winning candidates have to say:

In Garwood, the Democrats won out in a contested race on the municipal level for two open three-year seats on the Borough Council.

• Democrat Russ Graham (Incumbent): 1,379
• Democrat Vincent Kearney: 1,327
• Republican Jesse Wilson: 1,037
• Republican Joseph Nicastro: 1,111

Graham and Kearny thanked voters for their win:

"Thank you, Garwood. Today, Union County has certified our election to Garwood Council. We are overwhelmed and humbled by the sheer number of votes that we have received.

We want to thank everyone who has placed their trust in us to represent our community; we will not take it for granted. We want to thank our families, friends, and supporters who helped us throughout the campaign. And thank you to everyone involved in the process for their hard work to administer a fair election.

We want to thank everyone who we spoke with throughout the campaign. We heard you, Garwood. We heard that you want us to continue to invest in our town's services while protecting taxpayers. We heard that residents want leaders who will speak the truth and treat everyone in Garwood with the respect and dignity that all people deserve. That is who we are, what we believe, and how we intend to serve this great community.

With our victory in this year's election, we are more committed than ever to making Garwood strong for everyone and moving the Borough forward. We are proud of what Garwood is today and are excited about its future. Most of all, we look forward to serving you and making you proud."

In Clark, there was an uncontested Mayoral race with Republican incumbent Salvatore F. Bonaccorso running unopposed.

• Salvatore F. Bonaccorso: 7,089

On the township council, Republicans won for the two, three-year seats.

• Republican Angel Albanese (Incumbent): 6,111
• Republican Bill Smith (Incumbent): 6,095
• Republican Jimmy Minniti: 5,999
• Democrat John Victor Jacobson: 3,087
• Democrat Natalie Bassinski: 3,005
• Democrat Charles Bassinski: 2,916

Smith: "I would like to thank all our supporters in the Township of Clark for this overwhelming victory. The results of this election are a testament of the hard work this current administration and council has done the past four years plus. We govern for all citizens, regardless of party affiliation and this message was evident in the election results! Clark continues to be a great place to raise a family with all the services and programs we offer our citizens. I am looking forward to another four years and seeing the progress of the developments we approved come to fruition. Thank you again to everyone who voted."

Minniti: "I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude to the citizens of Clark for all their support during this election. It is truly an honor to serve the people of Clark in my new role as Council at Large. In addition, I would like to congratulate my fellow elected officials, Mayor Sal Bonaccorso, Angel Albanese and Bill Smith on also being selected for their new terms. I look forward to working together with them and our entire community as a team to advance issues of importance to our township. I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday season."

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