By Peggy Carroll
Morris County remains a Republican bastion. So said the voters who came out Tuesday, 232,542 strong, to give victory to the GOP from the very top office in the nation to county and local posts.
But not in Greater Morristown.
While 50 per cent of the county’s voters gave their approval to Donald Trump for President with an unofficial vote of 116,672 to 102,343, Hillary Clinton was the winner in Morristown, which often goes Democratic, and in Morris Township and Morris Plains, traditional Republican strongholds.
In Morristown, 67 per cent of votes (by an unofficial count of 4,397) went to Clinton, 23 per cent (1,832) to Trump. In Morris Township, 53 per cent of voters (5,964) approved Clinton, 41 percent (4,594) Trump. And in Morris Plains, the tally was 49 percent (1,461) for Clinton, 44 percent (1,361) for Trump.
Morristown, in fact, remained on the Democratic column of the ballot, rejecting veteran Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, re-elected for his 12th term, and the Republican team running for re-election to the County Board of Freeholders.
Frelinghuysen, who easily defeated Democrat newcomer Joseph Wenzel, winning 63 per cent of the district vote, came in second in Morristown polling places. Wenzel picked up 54 per cent of the votes.
Morristown voters also picked Democratic freeholder challengers Mitch Horn, Rozella Clyde and John Von Achen, over incumbent Republicans Douglas Cabana, Kathy DeFillippo and Tom Mastrangelo. The Democrats earned 20 per cent of the votes, the Republicans 11 to 13 per cent.
The Congressman and the freeholders did significantly better in the other two municipalities.
Frelinghuysen picked up 67 percent of the votes in the Township, and 62 per cent in Morris Plains.
As expected, James Gannon will succeed retiring sheriff Edward Rochford. Gannon, was was endorsed by former Governor Richard Codey, a leading state Democrat, won handily over Democrat Mark Dombrowski with a vote of 126,660 to 73,791.
A NO AND A YES
Voters in all three towns trounced the proposal to expand casino gambling to northern New Jersey by 75 to 79 per cent.
And they voted “yes” to the so-called “lock-box” constitutional amendment that would require tax money from motor fuels – including the new 23-cent gasoline tax– go to the Transportation Trust Fund.
In the county, the vote on the transportation fund issue was 108,096 for and 71,329 against. For the casino question, it was 139,468 against to 41,474 for.
In other local elections, Morris Township veteran Committeeman Peter Mancuso was elected to his sixth term, defeating Democratic newcomer Pamela Sheldrick by a vote of 5,847 to 4,513,
In Morris Plains, both parties could celebrate a victory. Incumbent Suzanne McCluskey, a Republican, and Democrat Jason Karr, both running unopposed, won another term to the Borough Council.
Of interest to everyone who stood in lines yesterday: The Morris County Board of Elections says that the county has 351,541 voters. Sixty-six per cent of them voted on this Election Day.
PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES
Here is the 2016 election by the numbers, for Morris County and Greater Morristown.
MORRIS COUNTY
County-wide, the turnout was 66 percent.
- Donald Trump took the county, 51 percent to 45 percent (rounded) for Hillary Clinton.
- Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) won his 12th term, with 63 percent to Democrat Joseph Wenzel’s 35 percent.
- In the 7th congressional district, Republican incumbent Leonard Lance defeated Democrat Peter Jacob, 58 percent to 40 percent.
- Republican James Gannon won the sheriff’s race, with 63 percent to Democrat Mark Dombrowski’s 38 percent.
- Incumbent GOP Freeholders Kathy DeFillippo (21 percent), Doug Cabana (20 percent) and Tom Mastrangelo (20 percent) beat Democrats Mitchell Horn, Rozella Clyde and John Von Achen, all at 13 percent (rounded).
MORRISTOWN
- Nancy Bangiola was re-elected to the Morris School District board.
- Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump in the county seat, 67 to 28 percent.
- Democratic challenger Joseph Wenzel defeated incumbent Rep. Rodney Frelinguysen 54 to 44 percent.
- Democratic challenger Mark Dombrowski beat Republican James Gannon in the sheriff’s race, 58 to 42 percent.
- The Democratic freeholder ticket (each with about 20 percent) outpolled the GOP incumbents (each about 13 percent).
MORRIS TOWNSHIP
- Peter Mancuso, a Republican, handily won re-election to the Township committee, with 56 percent to Democrat Pamela Sheldrick’s 44 percent.
- Peter Gallerstein was re-elected to the Morristown school board along with a write-in candidate, Jennifer van Frank.
- Hillary Clinton won the Township, with 53 percent to 41 percent for Donald Trump.
- Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen took the Township, 59 percent to 39 percent for Joseph Wenzel.
- James Gannon (R) beat Mark Dombrowski (D) for sheriff, 58 percent to 41 percent.
- The GOP incumbent freeholders (each over 18 percent) beat the Democratic challengers (two at 15 percent, one at 14 percent).
MORRIS PLAINS
- Incumbent Council members Suzanne McCluskey (R) and Jason Karr (D) were re-elected, running unopposed, with 55 and 44 percent.
- School board incumbents President Maria Manley and Christina Perry (28 percent each) and newcomer Adam Higgins (25 percent) were elected; Philip Mazur finished out of the money with 19 percent.
- Hillary Clinton defeated Donald Trump, 49 to 45 percent.
- Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen beat Joe Wenzel, 63 to 35 percent.
- James Gannon defeated Mark Dombrowski for sheriff, 63 to 35 percent.
- The incumbent GOP freeholders won the borough (20 percent each) over the Democratic challengers (two at 14 percent, one at 13 percent).
–Kevin Coughlin contributed to this report.
