Voters returned incumbent Princeton Councilman David Cohen to the Princeton Council and elected his running mate, Marina Rubina, to serve alongside of him in the Nov. 3 general election.
The two Democratic Party candidates easily defeated Republican Party candidate Antonio Merolli. He is the first Republican to seek election to the Princeton Council since it was created in 2013, following the consolidation of the former Princeton Borough and Princeton Township.
Cohen was the top vote-getter with 7,535 votes. Rubina, who is a political newcomer, received 7,286 votes and Merolli earned 1,919 votes. There were 104 write-in votes. The term is for three years.
Cohen said he sought a fourth term “very specifically” to accomplish several goals that are in reach, but that would take more than the remainder of his current term to complete. These include implementing a storm water utility and replacing the existing lightly used muni-shuttle system with a micro-transit-on-demand system, which he compared to a public Uber.
Rubina said she had several goals that she would like to accomplish – to revise the zoning code, which governs how land is developed, and to make it reflect the town’s values, such as walkability, sustainability, community, shopping, working and playing locally. She also wants to bring municipal services online.
Merolli focused his campaign on transparency. He pledged to be the eyes and ears of Princeton citizens and report back on how the budget is prepared, how consultants are chosen and the priorities selected. Decisions were made behind closed doors, and consultants were chosen many times without bids, he said.
The vote tallies are unofficial until the Mercer County Clerk certifies them later this month. The vote tallies include early voting, some vote-by-mail ballots and Election Day voting.
Vote-by-mail ballots received after 8 p.m. Nov. 3 and provisional ballots had not been counted as of Nov. 4.
