Elections 2011: June Primary

Unofficial Results Show Abbott, Brower Winners

The margin of votes between the candidates was less than 30.

Kathy Abbott and incumbent Bailey Brower Jr. prevailed in Tuesday's Republican primary and will run uncontested in November's general election for the township's two open committee seats. According to Township Administrator Tom Ciccarone, Brower earned the most votes with 491, followed by Abbott with 479. Laura Ali Nonnenmacher and Jeff Furbish had only one vote's difference between them, with 467 and 466 votes, respectively. Of 7,361 registered voters, 1,903 votes were cast for one or more of the candidates. This number, which does not reflect total voter turnout, represents 25.85 percent of registered voters. Township Clerk Greg LaConte said no independents registered for the general election in November. Republican Mayor Nicole Hagner …

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Elections 2011: June Primary

Voter Early Turnout Low in Chatham Borough

Without much of a contest in Chatham, voters were not motivated to cast a ballot.

Patch did voter turnout checks throughout the day at the various polling spots in Chatham Borough and the answer was always the same:  What turnout? From the Chatham Borough Firehouse and Milton Avenue School (MAS) in late morning to Washington Avenue School (WAS) and the Chatham United Methodist Church in late afternoon, there just wasn’t much action as voters were scarce. “I think it will be a record all-time low,” said one poll worker at the Firehouse, who attributed it to the fact that there is no real contest among the candidates. Another poll worker mentioned the fact that many people may not be familiar with candidates because both the Borough and Township were recently redistricted. “It’s no surprise because there is no contest,” …

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Elections 2011: June Primary

Township Can't Lose in Primary, Furbish Says

The candidate for Township Committee will wait for results at a popular local restaurant.

In a day characterized by low turnout among voters in the first eight hours of polling, Chatham Township Committee candidate Jeff Furbish remains optimistic. "It sounds like a good turnout here in in District 2," Furbish said after voting at Long Hill Chapel late Tuesday afternoon. "We'll know soon enough." Furbish is one of four Republican candidates for two available seats on the committee. He ran jointly with sitting Committee Member Bailey Brower, Jr. No Democrats registered for the race, and independent candidates have until Tuesday to file for the general election in November. Of the four candidates, Furbish is the only one who mentioned the possibility of facing an independent challenger in the general. "We'll see if any …

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Brower Optimistic for Fourth Term

The sitting Committee member feels confident with the feedback he's received.

Sitting Committee Member Bailey Brower, Jr. feels "great" about his chances in Tuesday's primary election. "There's been a low turnout, and usually it's the [committed] Republicans who come out and vote," Brower said after casting his ballot Tuesday. Brower is one of four Republican candidates running for two available seats on the Chatham Township Committee. He is currently serving a third term on the committee, and is the only candidate running as a sitting member. The committee member came to attention recently in the township after a private resident, not a political opponent in the race, paid for signs which read "Anybody But Brower" and placed them throughout the township. Brower said he thinks the signs may have helped his …

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Elections 2011: June Primary

Ali Nonnenmacher Hopes to Get to Work

The candidate for the Chatham Township Committee has big plans.

Chatham Township Committee candidate Laura Ali Nonnenmacher spoke with Chatham Patch after she voted early Tuesday afternoon in the June primary. "Idon't know how it's going to end up, so I'm not being presumptuous," she said. "But I feel good, and I feel very grateful for the amount of support that I've gotten from just about everybody I've talked to." Nonnenmacher is one of four Republicans running for two available seats on the Township Committee. With no Democrats running, the two candidates with the most votes Tuesday will move forward to an uncontested general election. Nonnenmacher ran on a platform of wanting to engage the small businesses in Chatham Township, especially in the Hickory Square shopping area. If she wins, she said, …

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Elections 2011: June Primary

Senate Candidate Assigns Challenger to Chatham District

A challenger from Bill Eames' campaign is stationed in the township's District 10.

Sitting in an unassuming chair in the corner of the Briarwood Coachlight Club House, Francis "Joe" Lang could almost be a poll worker. Except he is not sitting behind a table, like the other poll workers. He does not sign voters into the book or walk them over to the polling booths. Instead, Lang, 70, is at the District 10 polling place in Chatham Township, according to official instructions, to observe the election. Lang is an official challenger for Bill Eames' campaign for State Senator from the 27th district. Eames is running as a Tea Party candidate. "He's not the regular Republican candidate," Lang said of Eames. "So you just want to protect yourself." District 10 in Chatham Township, with 1,052 registered voters, is the largest …

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