Incumbents Lead In Unofficial Cherry Hill Election Results

CHERRY HILL, NJ — As of 1 a.m., the Democratic incumbents on Cherry Hill Township Council held a lead over their Republican challengers with the majority of precincts reporting, according to unofficial results from the Camden County Clerk's Office.

Results were last updated at 12:59 a.m. Vote totals as of that time can be found below. Those leading the races are in bold. Results remain unofficial until they are certified; it may take a few days to count mail-in ballots.

Cherry Hill Council: 46/48 precincts reporting

David Fleisher (D): 13,840
Sangeeta Doshi (D): 13,377
Carole Roskoph (D): 13,560
William A. Cater III (D): 13,335
Nicole Nance (R): 7,953
David S. Lodge (R): 7,825
Rossana Parsons (R): 7,786
Diane C. Carr (R): 7,907

Write-in: 25

Cherry Hill Board of Education: 46/48 precincts reporting

Sally Tong: 7,165
John Papeika: 5,235
Carolina Bevad: 5,736
Nicholas J. Gaudio, Jr.: 4,952
Benjamin Rood: 7,927
Jennifer Fleisher: 10,962
Ilana Yares: 6,547

Write-in: 183

In addition to the issues surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, Cherry Hill Council also faces issues surrounding the legalization of recreational marijuana, after township council voted to ban legal marijuana while setting a timeline to reconsider that ban by Feb. 1.

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The Democrats are all incumbents on Cherry Hill Council. Carter was appointed to council after Carolyn Jacobs resigned last summer, and is running to fill the remainder of that term. He is a former member of the Planning Board, Zoning Board, and Cherry Hill Board of Education.

As Council President, Fleisher says he has led the Township Council’s initiatives to hold the line on taxes for the past 10 years, invest in the community, and protect neighborhoods.

Roskoph says she is especially focused on improving the quality of life in Cherry Hill, from the youngest children to senior citizens, with a commitment to greening the environment.

Doshi is Co-Chair of the Human Relations Committee and the Green Team and is a volunteer with Moms Demand Action. In 2020, she was appointed to the NJ Transit Board of Directors by Gov. Phil Murphy.

More about the Democrats can be found here.

To help address gang violence in Camden, Nance was part of a team for the Operation Cease Fire. She volunteered with the Camden City Mayors Youth Council for 9 years and served as the Co-Chair for its last years two years.

Lodge is a Vietnam War veteran who has served as the Secretary/Treasurer of a nationwide union Local (CWA), where he engaged in labor contract negotiations and disputes.

Parsons was appointed Team Lead in Philadelphia for the American CleanUpMovement in 2019. She recruited and led hundreds of volunteers under Scott Presler’s “Stop talking and start Doing” Cleanup effort of our inner cities.

For the past 14 years, Carr has taught the English language to non-native speakers in Cherry hill through her tutoring business. She said that being raised in a culturally diverse home helps her understand ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity.

More about the Republicans can be found here.

There is a lot at stake in this year’s school board races. School boards across the state are dealing with mask mandates, vaccine mandates for teachers and finding ways to keep students safe amid an ongoing global health pandemic.

In Cherry Hill, the district is looking at a future bond referendum for various upgrades to schools across the district.

Tong is the only incumbent running in this year’s elections. She has served on the board since 2018, and says facing these challenges will take the whole community working together.

Fleisher says that if she is elected, she “will be a leader committed to serving all students inclusively and equitably. She is optimistic about the future, and is prepared to roll up her sleeves for the students and families in the town she loves.”

Gaudio says he is a lifelong believer in all personal liberties and freedoms, and does not support the notion that any citizens should be subjects to federal, state, or local governments.

As a school board member, Papeika said he will challenge himself and others to make the best decisions for the students, staff and all resident of Cherry Hill.

Bevad is running on a platform of accountability, engagement, responsibility and timeliness. She pledges to actively engage with the community and make decisions in the best interest of Cherry Hill students.

Yares said issues such as the bond referendum, re-districting and updates to the school’s curriculum s will greatly affect her children throughout their entire school careers, and she wants to be a voice at the table with how all children are taught.

As a strong believer in transparency and communities working together, Rood has committed to consistently engaging with community members as a Board member, including through maintaining a public website and holding a town hall meeting with constituents every month.

More about the school board candidates can be found here.

Just before the polls closed, a superior court judge in Mercer County reportedly rejected a request from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the League of Women Voters to keep polls open until 9:30 p.m.

The request was made because of issues with machines and delayed poll openings across the state, but the judge ruled no voter had been disenfranchised because of these events. Read more here: NJ Judge Denies Polling Hour Extension In ACLU Lawsuit: Report