Borough Commissioners Sworn In After Tight Election In Haddonfield

HADDONFIELD, NJ — A tight race in the Haddonfield Borough Commissioner election has been settled, with three elected officials sworn into the governing body on Tuesday.

Newcomer Itir Cole and incumbents Dave Siedell and Frank Troy are slated to serve as Haddonfield's commissioners for the next four years.

Tuesday marked the final day of vote counts for the election, which was held on May 13. Siedell and Troy held sizable advantages on Election Night, while Cole has narrowly led William C. Shanahan for the third position since then.

The final tally showed Cole receiving 2,058 votes to Shanahan's 2,009.

Cole, a former White House senior technology expert, waited for the final tally before declaring victory and getting sworn in on Tuesday.

"Thank you, truly, for the conversations over coffee, the signs in yards, the thoughtful questions, and the steady encouragement along the way," Cole said in a statement. "I'm deeply grateful to everyone who showed up — in big ways and small — to help make this campaign what it was. And to the other candidates, thank you for running a respectful race and for your commitment to our town."

Shanahan, who was also waiting for the final count, conceded on Tuesday.

"I want to thank the other candidates for running a civil race, that was a prime motivation for me to start this process last fall," said Shanahan, the homeland security director for the Delaware River Port Authority. "I congratulate them on their campaigns."

The three commissioners will divide responsibilities across different municipal departments this upcoming Tuesday. They will also select one of their members to become Haddonfield's mayor.

Cole replaces outgoing Mayor Colleen Bianco Bezich on the board. Bianco Bezich did not run for re-election in Haddonfield and is running for the Camden County Board of Commissioners as a Democrat.

Here was the election tally on Tuesday afternoon:

Haddonfield Borough Commissioners (vote for three)

• Dave Siedell: 2,259
• Frank Troy: 2,199
• Itir Cole: 2,058
• William C. Shanahan: 2,009
• Write-in: 208