Hopewell Borough’s Democratic Party voters have spoken, and Samara McAuliffe and Debra Stuhler will be the two Democratic Party nominees for two open seats on Hopewell Borough Council.
In the absence of Democratic Party candidates for the two seats, McAuliffe and Stuhler launched a write-in campaign for the June 5 primary election. Neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party nominated candidates for borough council.
Stuhler was the top vote-getter with 176 votes, followed by McAuliffe with 170 votes in the Democratic Party primary.
For the Republican party, Mark Bovenizer received six write-in votes.
Incumbent borough council members Debra Lehman and Shelby Tewell decided not to seek re-election.
McAuliffe grew up in Hopewell Borough and Hopewell Township, and moved back to Hopewell Borough in 2004. She is a human resources adviser for a Hopewell Borough advisory firm.
McAuliffe has volunteered in many capacities. She was the secretary of the Hopewell Harvest Fair Board in 2011 and 2016, and now serves on the leadership team for Mercer County Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.
She also served as the Hopewell Borough Democratic Municipal chair from 2012 to 2014, and as the treasurer of the Hopewell Valley Democratic Club – a post from which she has stepped down to run for borough council.
Stuhler has lived in Hopewell Borough since 2002. She is a project manager at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America, where she has worked for the past 20 years.
Stuhler volunteered with the Hopewell Harvest Fair, and served as the board president for four years. She also chaired the celebrations marking the 125th anniversary of Hopewell Borough. She has served on the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation.
Along with other volunteers, Stuhler started the Hopewell Block Party in 2006, which is an annual community gathering that helps strengthen relationships within Hopewell Borough.
