Election Results For Englishtown Mayor, Council GOP Primary 2023

ENGLISHTOWN, NJ — New leadership is coming to the borough of Englishtown.

The Republican primary election Tuesday saw challenges to two longtime officials, Mayor Thomas Reynolds and Councilwoman Cindy Robilotti, who were defeated in unofficial results.

Councilman Daniel Francisco received 120 votes for mayor to Reynolds' 41, according to the Monmouth County Clerk's office. This was with 100 percent of districts reporting.

Councilwoman Cecilia "Cindy" Robilotti received 52 votes, while the team of William Sabin Sr. and Louis E. Sarti Jr. saw 115 and 127 votes, respectively. There are two full terms to be filled on the Borough Council. Current Councilman Eric Mann is not seeking re-election.

There were no candidates who filed to run as a Democrat, so the Republican primary determines the leadership of the borough, which will change in January at the borough organization meeting.

And Francisco said his team's victory is "a big win for Englishtown." He said the council will focus on developing the downtown and making the borough a place families want to visit or move to.

"We have immense gratitude," he said, for those who helped in the win.

Development of the borough's downtown, the ordinance to allow cannabis retail stores and finding creative ways to address budget limits in a borough of this size were the issues before the candidates.

Here are the candidates and unofficial vote results:

Mayor: Full term, vote for one:

• Thomas Reynolds (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization - 41
• Daniel Francisco (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization - 120
• No Petition Filed (D)

Borough Council: Full term, vote for two:

• Cecilia "Cindy" Robilotti (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization - 52
• William Sabin, Sr. (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization - 115
• Louis E. Sarti, Jr. (R) Monmouth County Republican Organization - 127
• No Petition Filed (D)
• No Petition Filed (D)
• Write-ins: 1

Thomas Reynolds has been mayor of the borough for 24 years.

Francisco has served on the Englishtown Borough Council since October 2019 as a member of the Republican party, but was calling for change.

"Myself and a few of my colleagues have engaged in great strides to attract interest to the borough, and that effort is going to be abundantly visible in the near future. It’s been 23 years with the same leadership in town, and although I respect Mayor Reynolds, we need a new vision to project the value proposition of investing in our amazing community," he said in comments leading up to the election.

Robilotti has served on the council about 15 years.

William Sabin Sr. recently served as a Borough Council member for several months to fill an unexpired term. He remarked on what he called the "decline" of the downtown: "Businesses have been seeming to steadily move out of town with the buildings often remaining vacant."

"Those running with me feel strongly that Englishtown is more than a 'cut-through' town, and we are willing to do the work to make it a place for local families to work and play once again," he said, referring to the mayoral challenger Francisco and running mate Sarti.

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