Nayar, Higgins, Stephan Win SOMA School Board Race: 2025 Election Results Certified

SOUTH ORANGE-MAPLEWOOD, NJ — Malini Nayar, Meredith Higgins and Paul Stephan have won seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, official election results show.

A highly watched governor race brought many residents of Maplewood and South Orange to the polls on Nov. 4. But there were plenty of other choices for local voters to make in the 2025 general election.

Six candidates competed for three open seats on the South Orange-Maplewood Board of Education, which covers both towns. Terms last for three years. The candidates were: Malini Nayar, Paul Stephan, Meredith Higgins, Daniel Caplan, Ashley Donahue, and Ashwat Rishi.

With 100 percent of districts reported and the results certified as of Wednesday, here are the final tallies, according to the Essex County Clerk's Office:

• Malini Nayar – 9,162 votes (19.42%)
• Paul Stephan – 8,459 votes (17.93%)
• Meredith Higgins – 8,788 votes (18.62%)
• Daniel Caplan – 7,008 votes (14.85%)
• Ashley Donahue – 6,879 votes (14.58%)
• Ashwat Rishi – 6,894 votes (14.61%)

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