Following the unofficial results of the general election on Nov. 3, Mark Freda received 9,315 votes to secure the office of Princeton mayor.
Running unopposed, the Democratic candidate replaces Liz Lempert, who has served as mayor of consolidated Princeton since 2012 and did not run for re-election.
Freda will begin serving his four-year term on Jan. 1, 2021.
Preliminary and unofficial results have been posted on the Mercer County Elections website, last updated Nov. 3 at 10:41 p.m., and can be viewed at https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/107134/web.264614/#/summary. Mail-in ballots can be received through Nov. 10, and provisional ballots will be tabulated post-Nov. 11.
“I am honored by the results of yesterday’s election,” Freda said in a prepared statement released by Mueller Communications. “It will be my privilege to work for all the residents of Princeton. Together, we will address the issues and challenges before us. We will be open and transparent in our decision-making processes and in our actions. All of us are the same team – the residents, the elected officials and the town staff- our goals should all be the same. I look forward to our future and all of us working together.”
Freda, 64, served on Princeton Borough council from 1986-99, and was Princeton’s first director of Emergency Services, according to the statement. He is an active member of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization, having served on its executive board in 2018 and 2019. A lifelong Princeton resident, Freda is a 40-year veteran of the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad and of the Princeton Fire Department. He is the current president of PFARS, and previously served as fire chief.
“I want to thank my family for their support with my first step, the idea that I run for mayor, and then, their help and support throughout the campaign – my wife, Beth, and my daughter, Rebecca, my son, Alex, my mother-in-law, Hilary, my sisters, Maureen and Kathy, and various cousins, my niece, and my nephew,” Freda said in the statement.
“I also want to express gratitude to two people that helped my campaign meet the challenges of communicating in this time of COVID-19. Thank you to my social media strategist, Allison Mueller, and my website team from HG Media, led by Creative Director Ken Greenberg. Their help was truly invaluable.”
Freda will host a virtual Facebook Live discussion at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 5. Members of the Princeton community are encouraged to join, and can submit questions and comments at www.markfredaformayor.com. Past events are archived on the campaign’s website as well as the Mark Freda for Mayor Facebook page. Registration is not required. Visit www.facebook.com/markfredaforprinceton to watch.
