COLTS NECK – Thomas Orgo and Michael Viola outpolled Edward Eastman in the June 6 Republican primary and will run unopposed for two three-year seats on the Colts Neck Township Committee in November.
Orgo and Eastman are currently serving on the committee.
In the contested primary, Viola and Orgo received 744 votes and 700 votes, respectively, to secure their party’s nominations. Eastman received 318 votes, according to results posted online by the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office.
The election results are unofficial until the county certifies them.
Republicans hold all five seats on the governing body. Orgo will seek his third term. He served as mayor in 2016. Viola is a member of the Colts Neck Wildlife Committee and the Shade Tree Commission. He is seeking his first term on the Township Committee.
Eastman served on the governing body from January 2009 through December 2011. He was appointed to a vacant seat in February 2016 and was elected in November 2016 to serve through 2017. He will conclude his term on Dec. 31.
Township Committeeman Frank Rizzuto ran unopposed in the Republican primary as he sought the nomination to seek a one-year term.
Rizzuto was appointed to an open seat on the governing body in February to serve through 2017. He received 823 votes in the primary and will seek the voters’ nod in November to serve through 2018.
“We are very pleased with Tuesday’s primary results and the strong voter turnout,” Viola said. “Tom Orgo, Frank Rizzuto and I share a common vision of preserving the rural character of Colts Neck’s past while we address the challenges of today and provide a fresh perspective for tomorrow. The results demonstrate that our message resonated with Colts Neck voters.”
