MAPLEWOOD, NJ — The majority of Maplewood voters have again made clear that they want an all-Democratic Township Committee. Democratic incumbents Nancy Adams and Greg Lembrich won their seats back by a large margin, with Independent candidate Ileana Castillo in a distant third place.
All results from the Nov. 6 election remain unofficial until certified by County Clerk Christopher Durkin.
According to the Essex County Clerk’s Office website, with 100 percent of districts reporting in, Adams won 9,619 votes, or 47.63 percent, and Lembrich won 9,353 votes, or 46.31 percent. Castillo garnered just 1,175 votes, or 5.82 percent. There were xx write-in votes.
“It feels good that the people of Maplewood have been happy with what I’ve been doing on our governing body for the last three years,” Adams told the News-Record in a phone interview on election night. “It reaffirms that they want me to continue focusing on the environment and commonsense management of Maplewood.”
Lembrich too was overjoyed by the faith his constituents showed by re-electing him to the Township Committee. He was also pleased to see such a high voter turnout.
“I am grateful to the voters of Maplewood for turning out in such huge numbers, especially for a midterm election,” Lembrich told the News-Record in a phone interview on election night. “We have a lot of enthusiasm in our community, and I know a lot of it is fueled by what’s happening on the national level, but it’s great to live in such an involved community.”
As Adams and Lembrich each prepare to serve their second terms on the committee, they plan to continue focusing on the issues they have been working on during their first three years on the committee.
“I intend to keep going the way we’ve been going in regard to issues such as the environment, pedestrian safety, recycling,” Adams said. “Like police — we’re on the right track right now, as we continue to build community relations. We’re going in a great direction.”
Lembrich pointed out that he and Adams have continued to work on these issues throughout their first terms on the committee and through the election, and he looks forward to continuing this work.
“Things you do on the Township Committee don’t necessarily run on election cycles,” he said. “We still have work to do with the police department and the merger with the fire department. I’m looking forward to getting back to work for another three years.”
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