U.S. 12th District Primary: Chivukula Had Strong Support In Franklin In Bid To Replace Holt

State Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula speaks to residents at the Somerset Run Candidate’s Night.

Hometown favorite state Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula enjoyed strong support in the township in his bid for the Democratic nomination for the 12th Congressional District seat on June 3, but could not overcome the eventual winner’s lead in Mercer County, voting results show.

With a total of 7,824 votes in the Democratic primary, Chivukula placed third in the four-candidate Democratic field. State Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman won the nomination with 15,413 votes, followed by state Senator Linda Greenstein with 10,031 votes. Newcomer Andrew Zwicker won 2,648 votes.

Republican Aleita Eck, running uncontested in the Republican primary, received 6,570 votes.

Chivukula, a former Township Councilman and Mayor, garnered 2,645 of his total 2,910 Somerset County votes in the township. He also received 2,775 votes in Middlesex County, 1,678 votes in Mercer County and 461 votes in Union County.

While Chivukula was by far the lead vote-getter in Somerset County and also won the Democratic vote in Middlesex County, that was not enough to overcome Coleman’s 10,864 count in Mercer County, according to the voting results.

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