Early returns as reported by the Camden County Board of Elections. This story will be updated periodically.
By Matt Skoufalos | November 7, 2023
With 99 percent (429 of 432) of all precincts reporting as of 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, Camden County election results are mostly settled.
Voters largely returned incumbents to their offices in those races that were contested, with Democratic candidates retaining seats in the Fifth and Sixth Legislative Districts, as well as on the Camden County Commission.
Only six communities in our coverage area — Audubon Park, Cherry Hill, Haddon Heights, Merchantville, Oaklyn, and Pennsauken — featured mayoral and council races, with three of those (Audubon Park, Merchantville, and Oaklyn) uncontested on the ballot.
All results are considered unofficial and incomplete until certified by the Camden County Clerk. These totals will change, as they do not include all mail-in, provisional, and write-in ballots, and only will be final after they are certified by Camden County Clerk Joseph Ripa.
Turnout
Voters cast 53,673 ballots by mail and another 1,568 at early voting centers throughout the county. With 331 of 432 precincts reporting, another 44,812 ballots were cast at polling stations Tuesday, for an estimated total of about 26 percent (100,053 voters) of the 382,284 registered voters in Camden County participating in the process.
New Jersey State Senate & General Assembly Races
Trenton Capitol postcard. Credit: Boston Public Library: https://goo.gl/w1Glxn.
Fifth Legislative District
In the New Jersey Fifth Legislative District, incumbent Democratic State Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez (18,431 votes) retained her seat against Republican challenger Clyde Cook (7,077 votes) and Independent Mohammad Kabir (397 votes).
In the 5th District General Assembly race, incumbent Democratic Assemblymen William W. Spearman (18,558 votes) and William F. Moen (18,477 votes) fended off Republican challengers Joe Miller (7,158 votes) and Yalinda Pagan (6,949 votes).
Sixth Legislative District
In the New Jersey Sixth Legislative District, incumbent Democratic Senator James Beach (30,700 votes) defeated Republican Mark Doogan of Voorhees (13,352 votes).
In the 6th District General Assembly race, incumbent Democratic Assembly Majority Leader Louis Greenwald (30,536 votes) and Assembly Deputy Speaker Pamela Lampitt (30,027 votes) held their seats against challenges from Republicans Danielle M. Barry (13,471 votes) and Brian McRory (13,358 votes).
Camden County Commissioners Race
Incumbent Democratic Commissioner-Director Louis Cappelli, Jr. (64,930 votes) and Commissioner Jonathan Young (63,441 votes) doubled up Republican challengers Jason Fanning of Gloucester City (31,133 votes) and Norman C. Rebel, Jr. of Lindenwold (30,537 votes).
Local Races
In Audubon Park, Democrats Karen Lewis (148 votes) and Judith DiPasquale (153 votes) faced no balloted opposition for two seats on the borough council.
In Cherry Hill, Democratic Council President David Fleischer (12,084 votes) is the presumptive mayor-elect, having outlasted Republican Nicole Nance (5,017 votes) with 50 of 53 precincts reporting.
Incumbent township council Democrats Jennifer Apell (11,840 votes), Michele Golkow (11,770 votes), and Brian Bauerle (11,594 votes) defeated Republicans Judy Giacoboni Russo (5,249 votes), David Lodge (5,109 votes), and Stephen T. Heath, Jr. (4,988 votes),
In Haddon Heights, incumbent Democratic mayor Zach Houck (1,665 votes) will likely be re-elected over Republican challenger Jennifer Moore (663 votes), with nine of 12 precincts reporting. Democrats Regina Philipps (1,575 votes) and Kathleen Harron (1,544 votes) outperformed Republicans Kevin Ehret (752 votes) and Denise Bolognese (729 votes) for two open seats on the borough council.
In Merchantville, incumbent Democratic Councilmen Andrew McLoone (572 votes) and Sean Fitzgerald (568 votes) faced no balloted challengers for their seats on the borough council.
In Oaklyn, incumbent Democratic mayor Greg Brandley (735 votes) and his fellow Democratic council members, Charles Lehman (721 votes) and Dorothy Valianti (711 votes) faced no balloted challengers for their seats on the borough council.
In Pennsauken, Democrat Nicole Roberts (3,840 votes) won an unexpired term on the township council, defeating Independent Elizabeth LaVine (862 votes), with 26 of 29 precincts reporting. Roberts’ fellow Democrats, incumbent Mayor Vince Martinez (3,817 votes) and Deputy Mayor Patrick Olivo (3,693 votes) fended off challenges from Independents Jerry Bennett (910 votes), and Cetswayho Byrd (910 votes).
The classroom at Champion School in Haddon Township. Credit: Matt Skoufalos.
School Board Races
With 13 of 16 precincts reporting in Audubon, incumbents Mark Gatti (1,242 votes), Alison Lipsky (1,138 votes) and challenger Bill Wilson (1,202 votes) lead incumbent Joe Miller (941 votes) for three seats on the local Board of Education.
In Cherry Hill, with 50 of 53 precincts reporting, incumbents Kimberly Gallagher (7,791 votes), Miriam Stern (7,503 votes), and challenger Renee Cherfane (5,524 votes) lead the field.
Close behind are challenger Jennifer Sharman (5,450 votes), incumbent Ineda “Corrien” Elmore-Stratton (5,272 votes), and challengers Nicholas J. Gaudio, Jr. (4,949 votes) and John M. (Jack) Brangan (4,407 votes).
In Collingswood, with 14 of 17 precincts reporting, challenger Sarah Sherman (1,891 votes) leads the field, followed by incumbents Roger Chu (1,761 votes) and Matthew Craig (1,724 votes). Challengers Maggie Zmijewski (1,368 votes), Nicole DeFeo (1,344 votes), and Danielle Loomis (1,209 votes) are farther behind.
In Haddonfield, incumbent Michael Nuckols (2,106 votes) is the leading vote-getter for three open seats on the borough school board, followed by challengers Jessica Drass (1,936 votes), Nousheen Yousuf-Sadiq (1,618 votes), and Stephen Derkoski (1,403 votes), with 12 of 15 precincts reporting.
In Haddon Heights, incumbents Erin Miller (1,568 votes), Mary Stewart Vena (1,567 votes), and David Raetsch (1,560 votes) were unopposed in their bids to retain their seats on the borough Board of Education, as was Bryan Schroeder (1,569 votes) who defended his unexpired term.
In Haddon Township, incumbents Kellie Hinkle (2,787 votes), John Kendall (2,640 votes), and Isis Williams (2,491 votes) hold a commanding lead over challenger Josh Kennedy (1,469 votes), with 17 of 20 precincts reporting.
In Merchantville, incumbents Melanie Gaskins (504 votes), Kristina Kroot (491 votes), and Antisha Meisner (485 votes) were unopposed for three open seats on the borough Board of Education.
In Oaklyn, incumbents James McMillan (637 votes), Richard Taibi (637 votes), and Colleen Faupel (630 votes) faced no balloted opposition to returning to their seats on the governing body, and neither does Jennifer Ritondo (626 votes), who ran to retain her unexpired term.
In Pennsauken, challengers Jaclyn Hutton (2,298 votes), Ana Matos (2,292 votes), and Matthew McDevitt (2,184 votes) lead incumbents Lisa Eckel (1,880 votes), Orlando Viera (1,788 votes) and Dontay White (1,551 votes) in the race for three seats on the township Board of Education, with 26 of 29 precincts reporting.
