Close Assembly race for Union County seat won’t be determined until next week

Just 186 votes separate the two candidates for State Assembly in the Union County-based 20th district, with a winner unlikely to be declared before next Wednesday.

Eduardo Rodriguez, the former director of planning and community development for Elizabeth, leads Union County Commissioner Sergio Granados, 6,403 to 6.217.  The incumbent, Annette Quijano (D-Elizabeth), secured her primary win with 8,237 votes.

There are 491 provisional ballots that are scheduled to be counted on June 18.  Additionally, there were 532 uncounted vote-by-mail ballots as of today: 228 from Elizabeth, 160 from Union, 34 from Kenilworth, and 110 from Roselle; those ballots will be counted on Friday.  Some of these ballots could be from Republicans, although Democrats have a 4-1 majority in the 20th.

A fourth candidate, Walter Wimbush, received 5,382 votes.

Assemblyman Reginald Atkins (D-Roselle) decided not to seek re-election after two terms in the lower chamber.