HOWELL – Democrat Theresa Berger, who is completing a four-year term as Howell’s mayor, is leading in her attempt to win a second four-year term as mayor that will run from Jan. 1, 2021 to Dec. 31, 2024.
According to unofficial results posted on the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office website, as of Nov. 8, Berger was leading Republican Suzanne Brennan by a count of 14,926 votes to 12,566 votes in the race for mayor.
Mail-in ballots that are received by Nov. 10 and provisional ballots that were cast at Howell’s polling locations on Nov. 3 will be counted this week and added to the total. The election results are unofficial until they are certified.
Berger, in an interview published in the Tri-Town News prior to the election, said her top priority “is to stop the building. If we plan properly, we can control over-development.”
She also said she would support hiring additional police officers and that she would work “to preserve Howell’s suburban character.”
Brennan, in an interview published in the Tri-Town News prior to the election, said she has four areas she considers immediate priorities: holding the line on taxes; enhancing public safety; stopping what she said is unnecessary development; and working to make Howell more business friendly.
She said municipal officials “need to responsibly boost our commercial tax base to relieve the burden on homeowners and use technology to create operational improvements in how we provide services to residents.”
Brennan said she would work “to protect farms and open space and have the toughest zoning standards to stop large-scale development.”
In the race for one four-year term on the Township Council, Berger’s running mate, Andre de Garmeaux, was leading Brennan’s running mate, Republican Councilwoman Evelyn O’Donnell, by a count of 13,616 votes to 13,463 votes as of Nov. 8.
de Garmeaux is seeking his first term on Howell’s governing body and O’Donnell is seeking her second term.
