Dinesh Behal Named Official Winner In Town Council Race

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Dinesh Behal has been declared the official winner of East Brunswick’s 2021 Town Council election, according to a statement from East Brunswick Democratic Chairman David Lonski.

“With the updated vote tallies posted last night, the final outcome is now secure,” Lonski wrote on Saturday in a message that Behal posted to his campaign’s Facebook page.

The race between Behal, the Democratic incumbent, and Republican challenger David Herrera was tight, with just 171 votes separating the two candidates as of Wednesday morning. Behal was declared the winner Friday after Middlesex County certified updated tallies.

“It is my privilege to serve the residents of East Brunswick and I look forward to continuing to work on behalf of every SINGLE resident in the Township,” Behal, 46, said in a Friday statement.

In February, Behal was appointed to the council seat left vacant by Sterley Stanley when he was elected to represent District 18 in the New Jersey General Assembly. His campaign focused on redeveloping the Route 18 corridor with a mix of retail, restaurants, and affordable housing.

“The most pressing issue faced by our town is the redevelopment of our Route 18 corridor which has many abandoned and blighted properties. These properties are not only unsightly but have impacted our commercial tax ratable base,” Behal told Patch in October.

“The convenience of online shopping has had an economic impact of the retail corridor. Mayor Cohen and I, along with the rest of the Council, have been diligently working with our Redevelopment Agency to come up with solutions that not only improve the appearance of these non-performing properties, but make improvements for the entire community such as widening roadways, computerized traffic signalization, and dedication of lands for future recreational facilities.”

Behal also served on the city’s Library and Zoning boards, and helped install a cricket field at Bicentennial Park. He is also a licensed realtor who has served on the East Brunswick Democratic Committee since 2016.

Herrera, 30, is the owner and operator of El Toro Loco in South Plainfield who has lived in East Brunswick for 20 years and graduated from East Brunswick High School. Herrera told Centraljersey.com that he was running to be an “independent voice on the Council” whose biggest concerns were redevelopment, housing affordability, and attracting future homeowners.

Herrera is a member of the East Brunswick Arts Commission, the East Brunswick Republican Club and County Committee and East Brunswick Chamber of Commerce.

“Regardless of the end result I consider this campaign a victory for what we were able to do!” Herrera said in a statement and video posted to Facebook on Wednesday.

Related:

Bahal Leads Herrera In East Brunswick: Unofficial Results 2021
Meet The Candidate: Dinesh Behal For Town Council
Dinesh Behal Appointed To East Brunswick Council