2 Incumbents, 1 Newcomer Lead South Brunswick BOE Race

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — The highly contested South Brunswick Board of Education race saw two incumbents hold strong and one newcomer edging out others.

With 100 percent precincts reporting, on Wednesday morning, incumbents Barry Nathanson and Lisa Rodgers maintained their lead in the race, with newcomer Deepa Karthik taking the third spot, according to Middlesex County results.

Nine candidates were vying for three open seats on the South Brunswick Board of Education.

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The results will remain unofficial pending certification.

As of 11 a.m. Wednesday morning here's the count:

• Barry Nathanson: 3,755
• Lisa M. Rodgers: 3,447
• Deepa Karthik: 2,948
• Imran Bukhari: 2,641
• Erin Popolo: 2,582
• Julie M. Ferrara: 2,477
• Jayesh Patel: 2,305
• Stephen G. Parker: 2,020
• James Lavan: 2,002

Nathanson is a South Brunswick Board of Education member for around 19 years. A former member of the township's zoning board and a current member of the planning board, Nathanson said it was students' success that was the driving force for him to seek re-election.

"Being on the Board is more than just two meetings a month. Student success continues to be a driving factor for me to continue my passion for running for the Board. This starts with solid foundations, incredible opportunities, and the support to achieve anything," Nathanson told Patch.

A BOE member for the past three years, Rodgers believes all children should get the education they deserve, including average students. "I have a vested interest to find fiscally responsible solutions which yield maximum benefits. However, it is important that we do not turn away from new ideas," she said.

Meanwhile, newcomer Karthik ran on a slate along with Popolo and Patel. She edged out incumbent Parker to gain the third-highest votes, according to the County's election results page.

Karthik is a senior program manager by profession, who believes the current Board lacks "parental perspective" which hinders "judicious decision making."

"As a mother of two children studying in the District and as a professional, I can offer parental perspectives on needs and issues the community faces. Through such an office, I would have an opportunity to provide responsible direction to policy and programs in our schools," she said.

The unofficial results come amid a few hiccups on Election Day that saw County voters report technical issues with polling machines. Read More Here: Polling Troubles Due To Router Issues, Says Middlesex County

Middlesex County officials said operational issues were reported to the Board of Elections when polls opened at 6 a.m. Officials said the problems were mainly due to connectivity issues, as election workers struggled to connect electronic polling books to the internet.

Many towns like Metuchen and Spotswood reported issues Tuesday morning. Read More Here: Metuchen Reports 'Polling Issues' Due To New Voting Software

But the County-wide polling issues were resolved and voters were able to cast their ballots.

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