There were few surprises and even fewer contested races in Tuesday’s polls. All results are considered unofficial until certified by the Camden County clerk.
By Matt Skoufalos | June 8, 2021
Photo by Parker Johnson on Unsplash – https://goo.gl/yFknSf.
There were few surprises in Tuesday’s primary elections, as New Jersey Democrats and Republicans selected the candidates who will represent them in this fall’s gubernatorial, state senatorial, and state assembly races.
Only a handful of communities in our coverage area—Cherry Hill, Haddon Heights, Merchantville, Oaklyn, and Pennsauken—have open seats on their local governing bodies, and only those races in Cherry Hill and Haddon Heights will feature a contest among balloted opponents.
Camden County voters will also appoint three seats on the Board of County Commissioners, plus the County Sheriff, on November 2.
All results reported here are based on tallies reported by the Camden County Board of Elections, and are considered unofficial until certified by the county clerk.
New Jersey Gubernatorial Race
In Camden County, medical publisher and accountant Jack Ciattarelli of Hillsborough emerged from a field of four Republican challengers for the opportunity to challenge incumbent Democratic governor Phil Murphy in the fall general election. (Murphy ran unopposed on the Democratic ticket.)
Ciattarelli, who previously served two terms in the New Jersey Assembly, from 2011 to 2018, surpassed three hopefuls to get his party’s nod: CPA Brian D. Levine of Franklin Township, real estate developer Philip Rizzo of Harding, and Hirsh Singh of Linwood, who is Director of Operations at engineering firm Hi-Tec Systems Inc.
New Jersey State Senate Race
There was no primary contest for voters in New Jersey’s Sixth Legislative District (including those in Cherry Hill, Collingswood, Haddonfield, Haddon Township, Merchantville, Oaklyn, and Pennsauken).
Democratic incumbent Jim Beach will defend his state Senate seat against Republican challenger (and former Haddon Township Commissioner) John Foley this fall.
In the Fifth Legislative District (which includes Audubon, Camden City, and Haddon Heights), Democratic incumbent Nilsa Cruz-Perez faces no balloted Republican opponent for her State Senate seat.
New Jersey State Assembly Race
Two seats in the New Jersey state assembly are on the line in New Jersey’s Fifth and Sixth Legislative Districts, and all four balloted primary candidates in each race will appear on their respective tickets this fall.
In New Jersey’s Fifth Legislative District, incumbent Democratic Assemblymen Bill Moen and Bill Spearman will face Republican challengers Sean Sepsey and Samuel DiMatteo.
In New Jersey’s Sixth Legislative District, incumbent Democratic Assemblyman Louis Greenwald and Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt will meet Republican challengers Ed Farmer and Richard Super.
Camden County Sheriff Race
Incumbent Camden County Sheriff Gilbert “Whip” Wilson fended off a challenge from Haddonfield Police Chief Jason Cutler, and will proceed to the general election in November without any balloted opposition from Republicans.
Camden County Commissioners Race
Three seats are up for grabs on the Camden County Board of Commissioners this fall.
Incumbent Democrats Jeffrey Nash, Melinda Kane, and Almar Dyer handily dispatched challengers George Fallon and Ann Klein, and will square off against Republicans Johanna Scheets, Jennifer Moore, and Rachel Boberg in the main event November 2.
Local Races
Only two local government races in our coverage area will feature contested ballots in the November general election.
In Cherry Hill, incumbent Democratic Council members David Fleisher, Carole Roskoph, Sangeeta Doshi, and William A. Carter, III will face Republican challengers Nicole Nance, David Lodge, Rossanna Parsons, and Diane C Carr for four available seats on the township government.
In Haddon Heights, incumbent Democratic Council members Christopher Morgan and Scott Schreiber will battle Republican hopefuls Kimberley Stuart and Kevin Ehret for two seats on the governing body.
Uncontested local races
In Audubon Park, Democratic challengers Cathleen Lowe and Amy Paratore face no balloted opposition from within their own party for two seats on the local government council, and no Republican has filed a petition seeking office.
In Merchantville, incumbent Democratic Councilman Daniel J. Sperrazza and challenger Cindy Morales-Butts face no balloted opposition from within their own party; neither will they face any balloted Republican opponents in November.
In Oaklyn, incumbent Democratic Council members Christopher Walters and Nancy MacGregor face no balloted opposition from within their own party, nor will they face any Republican opponent on the ballot this fall.
In Pennsauken, Mayor Marco DiBattista and Deputy Mayor Jessica Rafeh face neither any opponent from within their own party, nor any balloted Republican opposition.
