Primary Election Results

The numbers were low and in favor of incumbents in yesterday's primary election, both in Springfield and across the county.

The sheriff primary was one of the most competitive in a low key primary election featuring a competitive Republican primary for Congress and Democratic primaries for county wide offices.

In the sheriff's race, Mitchell, an Essex County sheriff's officer from Roselle, garnered 103 votes in Springfield compared to 174 votes for Froehlich, who is seeking his 12th term in office. Countywide, Froehlich, the longest serving county sheriff in state history, defeated Mitchell by a margin of 52-percent to 47-percent, or 1,015 votes.

Mitchell ran on a slate of insurgent Democrats opposed to the candidates endorsed by the county's Democratic machine. He lost an independent bid to Froehlich in the 2007 general election and criticized the incumbent's 33-year tenure and his acceptance of a police pension along with his county salary.
Froehlich will face county Board of Taxation President Peter Lijoi, a Republican attorney from Summit, in November. Froehlich easily defeated Lijoi in the 2007 and 2004 elections. Lijoi won 954 votes in the primary in Westfield.

In the GOP race for the seventh district seat in Congress, U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-Hunterdon County) easily bested his three primary rivals to carry Springfield. Lance polled 208 votes in the township, which more than doubled the 102 Springfield votes garnered by his closest rival, David Larsen. Bruce Baker and Alonzo Hosford received 19 and 28 votes in Springfield, respectively. District wide, Lance captured the nomination for a second term in office.

In the primary campaign, Lance faced challenges from the more conservative trio of Larsen, Baker and Hosford, who criticized the incumbent over issues ranging from his support for cap and trade climate change legislation to federal earmarks for district projects.

Lance faces Democrat Ed Potosnak, a teacher and former congressional aide from Bridgewater, in the general election. Potosnak won 234 votes in Springfield in the primary.

In the Democratic primary for county clerk, three term incumbent Joanne Rajoppi won Springfield, defeating challenger Lisa McCormick by a vote of 201 to 80. McCormick ran on the same slate as Mitchell. Rajoppi won the county wide primary and will face Republican attorney Arthur Zapolski of Linden in November. Zapolski, who ran unopposed, captured 289 votes in Springfield in the primary.

In the Democratic primary for three seats on the county freeholder board, Springfield residents favored the slate backed by the county Democratic party over the insurgent slate. Freeholder Bette Jane Kowalski of Cranford finished first in Springfield with 186 votes, squeaking past Plainfield Councilwoman Linda Carter, who garnered 185 votes. Freeholder Chairman Dan Sullivan of Elizabeth received 180 votes.

The three winners defeated challengers Carmen Southward of Rahway who captured 81 votes, Roselle Planning Board Chairwoman Janet Reynolds with 83 votes and Elizabeth Board of Education member Elcy Castillo-Ospina with 77 votes. Southward, Reynolds and Castillo-Ospina ran as part of the slate headed by Mitchell.

Carter, Kowalski and Sullivan will face the Republican ticket of Summit Councilwoman Ellen Dickson, New Providence Zoning Board member Brian Flanagan and former Rahway Councilwoman Elyse Bochicchio Medved in November. No Republican has won a county wide race since 1994.

Locally, Richard Huber and David Amlen scored 250 and 246 votes, respectively, in their unopposed bids to run as Democratic candidates for Township Committee. Their Republican counterparts, current Mayor Ziad Shehady and Bobby Abraham, both received 301 votes.