Three Dems re-elected in So. Bruns.
Political party maintains control of governing body
BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer
Three Democratic incumbents won reelection to the South Brunswick Township Council last week, keeping the five-member governing body entirely Democratic for the next two years.

Deputy Mayor Carol Barrett earned the most votes with 10,600 nods, followed by Councilman Joseph Camarota with 10,411 votes and Councilman Charles Carley with 10,363 votes. The Democratic Party has dominated the council for the past 10 years and this year's election results were in keeping with past elections that went in their favor.

However, Republican candidate John O'Sullivan, 61, noted that the GOP made gains compared to the 2006 election, when Republican candidates earned roughly between 2,000 and 3,000 votes individually. O'Sullivan and his running mate, Steve Walrond, received 5,718 and 5,546 votes, respectively.

The election results include absentee ballots, but not provisional votes. It was reported that of the 24,803 registered voters in town, 16,890 cast ballots on Nov. 4.

Carley, 42, was elected in 2004 alongside Barrett, 67, and Camarota, 54. He said both Republicans and Democrats focused on the issues in this election and voters rewarded them with solid participation. He also lauded O'Sullivan and Walrond for their campaigns.

"I think they did a good job," Carley said. "They were gentlemen."

Camarota said he and his fellow incumbents are accessible to the public, in addition to being responsible and nonpartisan.

"I think we as a group are committed to serving the people of South Brunswick," Camarota said.

Camarota emphasized the similarities between the Democrats and the Republicans, saying that both political parties ran exemplary campaigns.

"I think it was quite a positive campaign all round," Camarota said.

O'Sullivan, who was vice chair of the Environmental Commission and is an active member of the Civilian Emergency Response Team, agreed with Camarota, saying he shares the Democrats' views on the need for more open space and improving Route 1.

Walrond said he and O'Sullivan agree with the Democrats on a variety of issues, but the way they would address the town's issues would likely be different. For instance, he wants the township to reach out to surrounding towns, as well as Middlesex and Mercer counties, in order to pressure Trenton to address the problems facing Route 1.

"The solutions we tried to propose are a little bit different than theirs," Walrond said.

Barrett described her fourth election victory as humbling. She was first elected to the council in 1999, and she became deputy mayor in 2001. She agreed with Walrond that the two political parties have different approaches. She noted that while Democrats share the same ideals, they have disagreed on issues in the past.

"Certainly we've had many discussions on many different topics, and I think certainly our approach is different, but we certainly have times when we are not in favor of it," Barrett said.

When there is a disagreement, Barrett said the council discusses it vigorously, but they try not to argue.

"I don't think you accomplish a whole lot doing that," Barrett said. "It's not the way government should be run. We certainly shouldn't be in lock step. We certainly should voice our opinions and suggestions."

Barrett disagreed with Walrond's approach to ensuring that Route 1 is widened, saying that this issue affects South Brunswick more than Plainsboro or North Brunswick, where the highway is wider.

"We've been applying the pressure," Barrett said. "We hired lobbyists to get the money."

Walrond, a 42-year-old former police officer at Rutgers University, was struck by lightning in 2001, only months after he saved a man from a burning truck. He said he had to relearn how to do everything after the incident, and this election has given him a chance to play a different role in the community.

Walrond commended the Democrats, saying that both parties refrained from personal attacks.

"Being that this is my first time, I thought it was a nice campaign in the sense that there really was no mudslinging as far as I could tell," Walrond said. "I look forward to the next campaign in two years, as long as my party says, 'Hey listen, we want you to run again.'"

"I was pretty happy with the turnout John and I had," Walrond said. "Next time I go around, hopefully I'll be successful."

O'Sullivan said that he is not sure if he would run again, but regardless of whether he does or does not, he is eagerly anticipating the next election in 2010.

"I'm looking forward to the next election for a new mayor and councilman," O'Sullivan said.