Kiran Agrahara defeated incumbent Township Councilman Ravi Patni in the Nov. 3 election to fill the remainder of Mayor Michael Todd’s unexpired term on the Robbinsville Township Council.
According to unofficial election results, Agrahara received 56% of the vote (2,668), compared with 42% for Patni (1,992). Write-in votes accounted for 1.7%. The totals do not include provisional ballots.
Agrahara, an 18-year Robbinsville resident and technology professional, will take office after the Mercer County election results are certified later this month. He will serve the remainder of Todd’s original council term, which expires Jan. 15, 2028.
The seat became vacant after Todd, who was elected to a four-year council term in 2023, won the mayoral election in November 2025 and took office in January. The Township Council appointed Patni on Jan. 29 to serve until voters selected a replacement.
Agrahara currently serves as vice chairman of the township’s Economic Development Advisory Committee. He has more than 30 years of experience in enterprise technology leadership, including managing multimillion-dollar budgets and advising financial institutions.
He is also a licensed New Jersey real estate agent, has served on his homeowners association board since 2008 and graduated from the Robbinsville Citizen Police Academy. He serves as an honorary commander at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and has funded annual scholarships for Robbinsville High School seniors.
During the campaign, Agrahara emphasized fiscal transparency, support for the school district, pedestrian safety and greater public involvement in municipal decisions.
In responses to a Robbinsville Advance candidate questionnaire published in September, Agrahara proposed requiring a fiscal impact summary before council votes on development agreements. The summary would show how revenue would be distributed among the township, county and school district.
He also pledged to donate his entire council salary to the school district.
“To back my words with action, I pledge to donate 100% of my council salary directly back to the school district throughout my term,” Agrahara said.
Other proposals included reviewing municipal contracts for potential savings, auditing money collected through the township’s sidewalk trust fund and improving pedestrian safety following cuts to courtesy busing in the Robbinsville school district.
Agrahara also called for expanded advance notice to residents about major land-use decisions and greater public access to financial information before council votes.
Patni, who has lived in Robbinsville since 2020, previously served on the township’s Zoning Board, Planning Board and Land Use Board before his appointment to the council.
A pharmacist by education, Patni works in pharmaceutical audit and compliance and is a local small-business owner. He also serves on the Mercer County Workforce Development Board and the Executive Committee of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Interfaith Advisory Council.
During his campaign, Patni emphasized public safety, fiscal responsibility, responsible growth and cooperation among municipal officials, schools and residents.
“I believe progress comes from collaboration, but collaboration should always include thoughtful discussion and independent judgment,” Patni said in his response to the Robbinsville Advance questionnaire.
Agrahara will join Council President Deborah Blakely, Vice President Hal English and Council members Chris Ciaccio and Amit Chopra on the five-member governing body.
Blakely congratulated Agrahara following the election and thanked Patni for his service during the past 10 months.
“As Council President, I look forward to working with Kiran and our incredible and diverse team to do what is best for the Robbinsville community,” Blakely said.
“A big thank you to Ravi Patni for his service as a Council member for the past 10 months. Ravi is a gentleman who cares deeply about Robbinsville. I have no doubt that he will continue to be a light in our community.”
Todd also congratulated Agrahara and the newly elected members of the Robbinsville Board of Education, saying he looked forward to working with them.
“As Mayor, I look forward to working collaboratively with our newly elected Council member, Kiran Agrahara, and continuing our partnership with the Board of Education,” Todd said.
“While elections may bring different perspectives and outcomes, we are all united by a common goal: doing what is best for the residents of Robbinsville and the future of our community.”
In the Robbinsville Board of Education election, Harry Ray, Michael Norden and Ilene Astemborski won seats on the school board, each receiving more than 32% of the vote, according to unofficial results.
