Community Corner

How Did Hillsborough Vote?

A deeper look at how residents voted according to unofficial results.

Tuesday’s presidential election was another in which Hillsborough residents chose the same candidate the nation did as a whole, as Barack Obama won his second term in office.

Hillsborough’s popular vote narrowly went to the president after unofficial votes were tallied Tuesday night, with the Democratic candidate receiving 7,803 of the township's votes to GOP candidate Mitt Romney's 7,699.

In 2008, the township also went with Obama by fewer than 300 votes, that time over Republican John McCain, according to information recorded by the New Jersey Department of State. Obama received 9,507 votes to McCain’s 9,218. The county similarly backed Obama, with 79,321 votes going to the president vs. McCain’s 70,085.

Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

It was a different story in 2004, when both the township and the county backed incumbent president George W. Bush with its majority vote. Bush received 9,246 votes from Hillsborough residents, while challenger John Kerry received 7,965. The county gave 72,508 votes to Bush and 66,476 votes to Kerry.

This year's presidential election, however, was the only race in which more township residents voted for the Democratic candidate. In the races for U.S. Senate, House of Representatives 7th District, State Assembly 16th District, Somerset County Clerk, and Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders, township residents voted for the Republican candidates (results below). 

Find out what's happening in Hillsboroughwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

That has not been uncommon in Hillsborough over the years. What was uncommon was voter turnout.

Following the major impact Hurricane Sandy had on township roads and power, accompanied with how email and fax ballots caused headaches Tuesday throughout the state, voter turnout was extremely low for Hillsborough during a presidential election.

This year, 59.36 percent of registered voters cast their ballots in the township.

In 2008, 80 percent of registered township voters made their voices heard, and in 2004 it was 82 percent coming out to vote. The numbers for the county were 79 percent in 2008 and 82 percent in 2004.

The county number this year? Almost identical to Hillsborough's at  59.23 percent.

Here is look at the numbers from Tuesday's votes in Hillsborough, according to the unofficial totals. Also included is the district-by-district breakdown for township committee.

President

Barack Obama (D) * Mitt Romney (R)

7,803

7,699

U.S. Senate

Robert Menendez (D) * Joe Kyrillos (R) 7,158 7,516

House of Representatives (District 7)

Upendra Chivukula (D) Leonard Lance (R) * 6,383 7,970

NJ Assembly (16th Legislative District)

Marie Corfield (D) Donna Simon (R) * 6,512 8,086

Somerset County Clerk

Joan Pritchard (D) Brett Radi (R) * 6,404 8,094

Somerset County Board of Chosen Freeholders

Anthony Pranzatelli (D) William Galtieri (D) Patrick Scaglione (R) * Mark Caliguire (R) * 6,412 6,085 8,090 7,890

Hillsborough Township Committee

District Michael Goldberg (D) James Farley (D) Carl Suraci (R) * Gregory Burchette (R) Judd Mandell (I)           1 111 117 201 195 17 2 157 170 186 169 21 3 260 315 375 306 27 4 156 151 286 274 13 5 200 211 223 209 18 6 127 130 234 215 31 7 189 199 360 331 20 8 125 133 204 201 23 9 163 162 327 312 7 10 182 200 289 268 20 11 98 107 229 212 11 12 182 181 142 128 6 13 257 256 209 197 11 14 255 263 244 221 28 15 193 193 272 262 15 16 283 284 193 176 9 17 230 233 260 240 21 18 139 146 257 230 13 19 157 169 256 232 13 20 137 153 241 236 12 21 246 246 208 193 10 22 175 176 294 264 23 23 157 159 222 217 17 24 174 172 273 241 13 25 162 153 318 306 19 26 190 176 327 305 17 27 186 195 388 372 8 28 159 187 286 262 12 29 128 125 306 271 16 30 125 145 288 268 24 31 182 203 268 235 15 32 164 160 181 170 14 33 218 228 251 242 23 Total 5,867 6,098 8,598 7,960 554

* Incumbent


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