BREAKING: Bayonne election goes to runoff; incumbents win in Weehawken, Union City

HUDSON COUNTY – Today, Bayonne, Weehawken, and Union City voters went to the polls. Here are the results:
The Bayonne mayor’s race will go to a runoff between Mayor Mark Smith and challenger James Davis.
In Weehawken, Mayor Richard Turner ran unopposed and carried his slate of incumbent council candidates to victory.
In Union City, Mayor Brian Stack ran unopposed and received more than 9,000 votes. His commissioners were also unopposed and received more than 7,500 votes each.

More details

In Bayonne, voters went to the polls to elect a mayor and five-member city council. Mayor Mark Smith was challenged by Police Captain James Davis and businessman Anthony Zanowic. As of 10 p.m., the mayoral race was tight with Smith at 5,971 votes to Davis’ 5,809. Since Zanowic claimed some of the votes too, Davis and Smith will enter a runoff election, as will three of the council candidates. First Ward Councilman Thomas Cotter has amassed more than 50 percent of the vote in his ward and wins outright.
In Union City, Mayor Brian Stack and his four commissioners ran unopposed and received more than 7,500 votes each.
Stack actually was running as the fifth commissioner. In Union City’s form of government, five commissioners are elected, and they choose a mayor from among themselves.
There were also 38 write-in candidates recorded in that city.
In Weehawken, Mayor Richard Turner ran unopposed. Two of his four Township Council candidates faced opposition.Deputy Mayor and 3rd Ward Councilman Robert Sosa was challenged by Joseph Mendez and 2nd Ward Councilwoman Rosemary Lavagnino was challenged by policeman Richard DeCosmis.
First Ward Councilwoman Carmela Silvestri-Ehret and Councilman-at-Large Robert Zucconi, along with Turner, ran unopposed.
Turner has been mayor since he was first elected in 1990.
As of 10 p.m., Ward 3 Councilman Robert Sosa was ahead of Mendez 485 to 94. Rosemary Lavagnino was ahead of Richard DeCosmis 520 to 209. Sosa and Lavagnino are far enough ahead to win the election.
Watch for a more detailed report in this weekend’s newspapers. For more results, you can click here tomorrow for final results.

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