Politics & Government

A Look at the Gloucester Twp. Ballot

Gloucester Township voters have a full ballot to consider.

When Gloucester Township residents go to polling places for Election Day on Tuesday, they will have a full ballot to consider.

On the local ballot, voters will make choices for president, United States Senate and House of Representatives, New Jersey Assembly, Camden County freeholder and sheriff, local and regional school boards, and three ballot questions.

Polls are open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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Here is a rundown of the choices Gloucester Township voters have:

PRESIDENT

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Pick one

Incumbent Barack Obama (D) is challenged by former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney (R). Third-party candidates include Green Party nominee Jill Stein and Libertarian Party choice Gary Johnson.

U.S. SENATE

Pick one

Incumbent Robert Menendez (D) is challenged by New Jersey Sen. Joseph Kyrillos (R). Menendez has been a senator since January 2006, when he was appointed to complete the term of Jon Corzine, who became New Jersey governor. Kyrillos has been a state senator since 1992.

There are nine third-party candidates running for the Senate seat.

U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Pick one

Longtime U.S. Rep. Rob Andrews (D) is opposed by Gregory W. Horton (R). Andrews has been New Jersey's 1st Congressional District representative since 1990. Horton is an administrator at Clearview Regional High School, in Gloucester County. Third-party candidates are John William Reitter (Green Party) and Margaret Chapman (Reform Party).

NEW JERSEY ASSEMBLY

Pick one

Interim 4th Legislative District Assemblywoman Gabriela Mosquera (D) is opposed by Shelley Lovett (R). Both women are Gloucester Township residents.

This special election was set in motion in February when the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled the state's one-year residency requirement was in fact constitutional and that Mosquera, who moved into the legislative district in December 2010, did not meet it. The decision stipulated the Democratic Party could appoint the person to fill the Assembly seat

Mosquera, who had soundly defeated Lovett, finally took office in March on an interim basis following months of legal wrangling.

CAMDEN COUNTY FREEHOLDER

Pick three

The Democratic slate includes two incumbents—Ian Leonard and Jeffrey Nash—and Gloucester Township Councilwoman Michelle Gentek. They are opposed by the Republican slate of Ian Gill, Eugene Lawrence and Jim Pearce. Lawrence is a former Gloucester Township councilman. Nash has been a county freeholder since 1991 and Leonard since 2009.

The Green Party is running two candidates—Zach Hare and Mark Heacock.

CAMDEN COUNTY SHERIFF

Pick one

Incumbent Charles H. Billingham (D) is opposed by Christine Leone-Zwillinger (R). Billingham, who retired as Washington Township (Gloucester County) police chief in 2006, has been county sheriff since 2007. Leone-Zwillinger, an attorney, previously served as a sheriff's officer in Essex County.

BLACK HORSE PIKE REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD

Pick three

Incumbents Jennifer Storer and J. Jay McMullin are seeking new three-year terms. Challengers are Samuel Garro, Dawn Leary and Louis Vizoco. Storer and McMullin have been board members since 2006 and 2009, respectively. Garro ran for Township Council in 2011. Vizoco is a former Black Horse Pike Regional board member.

GLOUCESTER TOWNSHIP PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD

Pick three

Incumbents Raymond Carr, William Fontanez and Felicia Reid are seeking new three-year terms. The challenger is Theodore Marcus Liddell.

BALLOT QUESTIONS

Question No. 1, dubbed the "Building Our Future Bond Act," asks New Jersey voters to approve the issuance of $750 million in bonds to provide additional funding to New Jersey’s 31 public colleges and universities, 19 county colleges and some private higher education institutions for long-term facilities needs.

Question No. 2 asks New Jersey voters to approve an amendment to the state's Constitution, as agreed to by the Legislature, to allow contributions set by law to be taken from the salaries of Supreme Court justices and Superior Court judges for their employee benefits.

Question No. 3, a local question, asks voters to approve an ordinance that would require vendors to report Super PAC contributions to the township, mandate that the township award contracts to vendors using the state's "fair and open" process and prohibit, and limit the amounts of campaign contributions from certain vendors.

This question was advanced to the Township Council and ultimately the local ballot by process of a citizens initiative organized by a group of local Democrats.

Proponents say it will help expose vendors' contributions to Super PACs.

Opponents say Super PACs have not been active in local campaigns to date and note the "fair and open" process would allow the township to continue to award professional service contracts to significant campaign contributors.


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