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Countdown To Election Day: Mayoral, Council Candidates Announced
By Catherine Snipe
The road to November election began this week, as candidates filed to run in the local primary.
The deadline for Democratic and Republican primary contests expired this week, though through petition candidates may still run as Independents on the November ballot.
Brick Township has four council seats up for grabs, as well as the mayor's seat abandoned by former mayor Joseph Scarpelli late last year.
The primary election is June 5. There are no contested seats in the primary; in other words, Brick's candidates in November are all but set.
Running for mayor as a Democrat is current Mayor Daniel Kelly, who was appointed to the position in January, and Council President Stephen Acropolis, a Republican who challenged Scarpelli in 2005.
The mayor's race comes thanks to Scarpelli's resignation. Kelly, formerly the planning board chairman, was appointed mayor in January as a result. Under the law, the township must hold a mayoral election in November as a result.
When Acropolis ran for mayor two years ago, he lost by less than 200 votes. He currently heads the Republican-majority township council.
Four of the seven council seats are also up for grabs in November.
The council's lone Democrat, Kathy Russell, will be joined by council hopefuls Paul Panuska, Anthony D'Elia, Michael Mauro and former councilman Frederick Underwood, who opted not to run for reelection in 2005.
The Republican ticket has three incumbents: council members Ruthanne Scaturro, Michael Thulen and Anthony Matthews. Brian DeLuca, who serves on the school board, is the fourth Republican candidate for township council.
Unless candidates drop out between now and November, or Independent candidates join the fray, June's Primary ballot will look identical to the ballot in November.
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