Struben Slate Wins Mixed Victory in Republican Primary Battle

A team of Republican party outsiders scored an apparent upset in Tuesday's primary fight against Woodbridge's sole Republican councilman and his slate.

Former township prosecutor Christopher Struben bested Councilman Bob Luban by 39 votes, winning 480 to 441 at last count. Three of Struben's teammates also beat the Luban council picks, with only one of Luban's running mates finishing as one of the top four vote-getters for the four at-large council seats up in November.

The Struben team's victory was based upon preliminary results. That's because one of the voting machines in the First Ward, Second District had problems printing out a tape of the voting results, said Township Clerk John Mitch.

The cartridge from the electronic voting machine was sent to the Middlesex County Board of Elections in New Brunswick for a final processing by county officials. When that is done - sometime Wednesday, Mitch said - the primary results will be certified as official.

Struben and his slate, who ran under the"Right Choice for True Republicans" banner, didn't let the lack of certified results stop them from declaring victory last night.

"I'm feeling great," said Struben, who celebrated with his running mates and campaign organizers in a side room at Ristorante Venezia on Main St. "I'm just sorry I didn't bring all four of my team with me."

Walter Kazmarek, Jr., a decorated Vietnam war veteran, was the top vote getter from Struben's team with 477 votes. He was followed on the Struben slate by Debra Reinhart with 449 votes and Eduardo Ascolese with 434 votes. Aaron Stange received the lowest number of ballots with 401.

On the Luban side, his running mate Susan Boros garnered 452 votes, making her the second highest vote getter in the Republican primary race. That earned Boros a position on official Republican slate, one she will share with three members of the Struben team.

Boros was followed by Kenneth Russo with 432 votes,  Anthony Cuntala with 396 votes, and Scott Brescher with 395 votes.

Although the results given by the town clerk's office were preliminary, only two votes separated Russo from the Luban slate and Ascolese, the lowest vote getter on the Struben side, to winning a Republican slot for the November council election.

The two-vote difference that could knock one of Struben's teammates off the ticket and put one of Luban's candidates on didn't phase Struben.

"If there are changes, we will deal with it," he said.

Reinhart said she was happy with her victory. "I'm confident we can win in November. It's bittersweet, though," because all four of the Struben slate didn't make it onto the ticket, she said.

"I know we'll make a huge difference to the people in Woodbridge," Reinhart added.

Kaczmarek said he was proud his conservative political roots, a theme that the Struben camp embraced.

"I'm proud of being conservative. I've heard the word used as a slur," he said. "It's disgusting."

Struben said he was confident of winning in November against Woodbridge Mayor John McCormac if Middlesex County Republican Party chairman Sam Thompson would fund the Struben camp with $50,000 - the amount of money Struben said Thompson promised to Luban for the general election.

The mayoral candidate said he was going to make fiscal issues, including cutting spending, a centerpiece of his campaign.

"We have to reduce bonding and borrowing so we can get a handle on our debt and stop tax hikes," Struben said. "We have to cut the size of government."