Two Readington Township committee candidates – each from a warring faction — remain separated by a single vote in the Republican primary, in a local contest that won’t be decided until at least next Wednesday, and likely even longer since a recount is inevitable.
Organization-backed candidate Trevor Izzo secured the first of two GOP nominations, but the battle for the second spot remains unsettled.
On election night, Izzo led the field with 1,288 votes. Michael Rhodes held a razor-thin one-vote edge over John Kowal, 1,195 to 1,194. As additional vote-by-mail and provisional ballots have been counted, the margin has remained unchanged. Rhodes now leads Kowal, 1,210 to 1,209.
Rhodes and Izzo ran together. Kowal ran with Lisa Routel, who came in fourth with 1,166 votes.
The Hunterdon County Board of Elections is not scheduled to count the remaining ballots until June 10.
There are still nine vote-by-mail ballots and 23 provisional ballots left to be processed. In New Jersey, provisional ballots are not automatically counted. They are only counted after election officials determine that the voter was eligible to vote and that the ballot was cast properly under state law. Vote-by-mail ballots postmarked by 8 PM on June 2 will be counted if they are delivered to the Board of Elections by the close of business on Monday.
There are no outstanding cure letters in Readington.
Republican infighting in Readington has simmered for years, dating back to 2022, when a group of local moderates backed former Rep. Tom Malinowski (D-Ringoes) over now-Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) in one of New Jersey’s most competitive congressional races.
Two incumbents, John Albanese and Jonathan Heller, are not running again. Albanese admitted to stealing signs during the 2024 GOP primary; an Apple AirTag affixed to one of the signs led police to his home, where he was arrested. As part of a plea deal, to plead guilty to creating a public nuisance, helping to avoid a criminal conviction.