Republican incumbents in Branchburg hold off primary challengers
BRANCHBURG – Incumbents Tom Young and Dave Owens easily won one of the first contested Republican primaries for Township Committee in recent years.
Young, serving as mayor this year, topped the GOP ballot in his campaign for a 10th term on the Township Committee. Young received 997 votes while Owens, in the race for his third term, garnered 970 votes.
Trailing was Steve Price with 760 votes and Tara Murphy with 664 votes.
Price and Murphy challenged the incumbents with one of the most aggressive GOP primary campaigns in the township this century.
More: Branchburg residents to vote on $70 million school referendum in September
In recent years, GOP primary candidates, mostly incumbents, have faced no opposition unlike some of the bitter inter-party squabbles in recent years.
The Township Committee has been all-Republican for four decades. Whoever wins the GOP primary becomes a heavy favorite in the November election.
Nathan Rudy, the only Democrat on the primary ballot, received 1,085 votes, more than any Republican candidate.
Email: mdeak@MyCentralJersey.com
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Republican incumbents in Branchburg NJ hold off primary challengers
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