RAMSEY, N.J. — Democratic challenger Angelo LaManna Jr. led Republican Mayor Deirdre Dillon by seven votes in Ramsey’s Nov. 3 election, with 50 ballots still outstanding in the borough, the New Jersey Globe reported Nov. 10. The unofficial tally put LaManna ahead 3,275 to 3,268.
LaManna led by just two votes on election night. His advantage grew to four and then seven as more ballots were counted. The Globe reported that the Nov. 5 tally included only part of the mail-in vote and that six mail-in ballots and 44 provisional ballots were still outstanding.
Dillon is seeking another four-year term. LaManna, a former Ramsey police officer, is making his first run for elected office. Local development emerged as an issue during the campaign, WABC reported.
Democrats gain two council seats
Republicans held all six seats on the Ramsey Borough Council going into the election. Democrats Jennifer Crandall and Robert Barry won both seats on the ballot, defeating Republican Council President Judith Cusick and running mate Jacob Englishman, according to the Globe.
The council gains were part of a broader shift in Bergen County, where Democrats picked up Republican-held council seats in 12 municipalities, including Ramsey. If LaManna’s lead holds, Ramsey Democrats would also take the mayor’s office.
Sources: New Jersey Globe, WABC, Daily Voice via AOL
By NJ RADAR Team