Headline News Montgomery: Local Election Totals and Candidate Statements

Nicholas Mistretta

Township Committee
Four candidates sought two Township Committee seats.

Reported vote totals

• Vince Barragan (Democrat): 5,794 votes (31.45%)
• Mike Martin (Democrat): 5,789 votes (31.42%)
• Chris Venis (Republican): 3,401 votes (18.47%)
• George De Sanctis (Republican): 3,395 votes (18.43%)

Candidate statements

Vince Barragan:
“I’m humbled by the show of support from my neighbors and fellow residents – Thank you! I’d like to thank Chris and George who both expressed their support to Mike and I last night. I look forward to working with our entire community to enhancing Montgomery as the best township in New Jersey!

Mike Martin:
“I am humbled and honored by the support of Montgomery. I want to thank those who gave their time and effort to make this happen. I want to thank George and Chris for putting forward ideas and energy in this race. We are better when everyone joins in because the challenges we face require collaboration across differences. I look forward to the work ahead and ensuring Montgomery is the best it can be.”

Chris Venis and George De Sanctis (joint statement):
“We would like to thank all the residents of Montgomery Township for their support and encouragement. Despite falling short, we feel we accomplished quite a bit. Our campaign focused on allowing the residents to be heard and light to be shed on numerous issues. The Kenvue Affordable Housing mess should have never occurred. But, thanks to the residents for joining us, we forced the Township Committee to hold public hearing on the issue, which should have been done sooner. Now, the State and Township know there is a push for more public input.

Thankfully, with our help and assistance, the Police Department, after nearly a year received a new contract. The issue was brought into the public light and continuously being championed by us.

The conversations the Township held in private with developers was also brought into the light. No longer, can the Township Committee ignore the public and keep things hidden. Future committee, zoning and planning board meetings will have a new feel; input from the public.

Thank you to all the residents that greeted us warmly to discuss issues affecting them directly, and to our dozens of volunteers that put in hours of hard work.

This is just the beginning and the dawn of a new and more transparent local government. Please join us in the future as we transform Montgomery into a wonderful community and show its true potential.”

Board of Education
Six candidates ran for three seats on the Montgomery Township Board of Education.

Reported vote totals

• Kathryn Worland: 5,276 votes (21.00%)
• Julius Nunez: 5,017 votes (19.96%)
• Francine Pfeffer: 4,944 votes (19.67%)
• Jiying “Peter” Li: 3,324 votes (13.23%)
• Ania Woleck-Jernigan: 3,251 votes (12.94%)
• Joanna Filak: 3,241 votes (12.90%)

The three highest individual vote totals were received by Worland, Nunez, and Pfeffer.

Candidate statements

On behalf of the Worland–Pfeffer–Nunez ticket, Francine Pfeffer stated:
“We look forward to serving the students and community in Montgomery and Rocky Hill.”

From the Filak, Woleck-Jernigan, Li ticket:
“We were deeply energized and inspired by the incredible outreach and support from residents throughout our campaign. We are truly grateful for every effort, every conversation, and every vote cast in our favor. The Montgomery community continues to exemplify strength, unity, and an unwavering commitment to educational excellence. We trust that the newly elected Board of Education will recognize and honor this dedication by upholding the community’s expectations. The Board serves as the elected representatives of the people, entrusted to be their voice and to act with integrity, transparency, and respect for the values that define our district. Thank you for allowing us to serve you.”

Photo Credit: SynthEx