Princeton Primary Voters List a Variety of Write-In Candidates

Voters who participated in the Princeton Democratic and Republican primaries Tuesday had the choice of selecting write-in candidates. The Republicans did not have a write-in slate for council as they sometimes do in Princeton, and no independent candidates filed. But voters were creative in listing alternatives to the options offered to them at the polls.

More than 1,100 people who voted at the top of the ticket in the Democratic primary did not vote for incumbent Princeton Mayor Liz Lempert, who was running unopposed. Twenty-one people wrote in their own choices, with Republican mayoral candidate Peter Marks receiving four write-in votes from Democrats. Patrick Simon, who is completing his last term on the Princeton Council this year, also received three write-in votes. Dick Woodbridge, Kevin Wilkes, Phyllis Marchand, Anne Neumann, Abigail Lee, Chris Grant, Michel Serieyssol, and Jo Butler also received write-in votes for mayor. One person wrote in “AvalonBay” for mayor, one person wrote “anyone else” and another wrote “anyone else but Lempert.”

Former U.S. Rep. Rush Holt received one write in for the House of Representatives and one write-in for county surrogate.

Several people listed alternative candidates for council in the Democratic and Republican primaries, with each write in receiving one or two votes except for resident Howard Levy, who received seven votes in the Democratic primary.

In the Republican primary, one person listed Liz Lempert for mayor.

In the presidential race, two Democrats wrote in Donald Trump, two Republicans wrote in Bernie Sanders, two Republicans wrote in Rand Paul, one Republican wrote in Mitt Romney, one Republican wrote in Michael Bloomberg, and one Democrat wrote in Joe Biden.