Big Field Of Candidates File For Three School Board Spots In Holmdel

HOLMDEL, NJ —Eight candidates have filed nominating petitions to run for three full terms open on the Holmdel Board of Education.

The petition filing deadline for candidates was Monday, July 25, at 4 p.m.

The candidates are, in order of the filings provided by Monmouth County:

• Christian DiMare, Putting Children First
• Joanne Lam, Education First
• Alicia Unusan, Education First
• Mathew Weisfeld, Education First
• Deborah Wilson, School Community Advocacy
• Elizabeth Urbanski
• Jeff D. Mann, Family Values Stability
• John Buckley

The list of candidates will not be official until after Sept. 6, as candidates may withdraw from the ballot before that date. New candidates may be placed on the ballot up until that date if new offices are to appear on the ballot, as provided by the school board administrator, said Monmouth County Assistant Supervisor for Elections Cassandra Achille.

The election for school board members is held on General Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8. School boards have until Sept. 9 to submit a public question to appear on the Nov. 8 ballot, Achille added.

Other than Board President Elizabeth Urbanski, no current school board members have filed to run for board terms. Urbanski became the subject of attention when she was involved in a minor car accident with a high school student last November.

Her term and those of Joseph Hammer and Mike Sockol all expire in December 2022, according to the school board website.

Another filer is Christian DiMare, running with the "Putting Children First" designation. He recently was the spokesperson for the Save Holmdel organization that opposed a proposal for a charter change to Holmdel's government, a measure that was defeated by voters on Tuesday, according to unofficial results.

Joanne Lam, Alicia Unusan and Mathew Weisfeld are running on the "Education First" slate.

Other filers are running either singly or without a designation: Deborah Wilson is running with the "School Community Advocacy" designation, Jeff D. Mann with "Family Values Stability," and John Buckley is running without a designation.