The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Local incumbent candidates appear to be leading in their races for their party’s nominations, according to unofficial results from the 2025 primary election on June 10.
Township Councilman Carl Wright (D-Ward 4) and state Assemblyman Joe Danielsen (D-17) were the only candidates facing primary challenges in the election.
Wright was leading his challenger, Javahn Walker, 514 to 432 votes.
Danielsen was leading his challenger, Piscataway Board of Education member Loretta Rivers, 9,673 votes to 9,139.
The 17th Legislative district is comprised of towns in Middlesex and Somerset counties, including Franklin. Danielsen, a Franklin resident, was leading in Somerset County, 4,684 votes to 3,847 – although Roberts was leading Danielsen in Franklin, 2,141 votes to 2,139 – while Rivers was leading Danielsen in Middlesex County, 5,292 votes to 4,989.
Results are not official because not all early voting, mail-in, and provisional ballots were counted by the end of the night on election day.
County Clerks have until June 20 to certify the final results.
Statewide, Democrats picked U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill to be their standard-bearer in the gubernatorial race, but Franklin Democrats did not ride that wave.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, who has visited Franklin several times over the last year, outpolled Sherrill 2,054 votes to 1,077.
On the Republican side, Township Republicans supported the primary winner, Raritan native and former state Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli.
The general election is set for November 4.
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