Incumbent Mercer commissioners will share endorsement with challenger

Just two Mercer County commissioner seats are up for grabs this year, but a quirk in the math meant Mercer County Democrats endorsed three candidates for the Board; it’ll be up to the voters to winnow down the field.

The Democrats endorsed two incumbents, Lucylle Walter (D-Ewing) and John Cimino (D-Hamilton), as well as a challenger, Nakia White Barr, a former assistant vice president at Princeton University.

Walter garnered 272 votes, Cimino received 255, and Barr got 200 votes. The Mercer Democratic bylaws require endorsements to go to candidates who receive more than 50% of the vote. According to Mercer Democratic Chairperson Janice Mironov, the percentage totals are determined by dividing by the number of ballots cast (389) rather than total votes cast (727).

That means that even Barr, despite finishing third, got a percentage of 51.4% (200 divided by 389), and therefore an endorsement.




https://newjerseyglobe.com/local/incumbent-mercer-commissioners-will-share-endorsement-with-challenger/