Third Spot In Middletown School Board Race A Tie; Candidates Deciding What To Do

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — As of Tuesday, all remaining mail-in and provisional ballots have been counted in the 2025 Middletown school board race.

Two clear winners have emerged: Christopher Aveta, with 11,670 votes and Erin Torres, with 11,663 votes.

However, there is a dead-even tie for the third spot, and it's between two candidates who were running mates on the Students, Parents, Taxpayers slate:

• James Cody: 11,478 votes
• Sara Weinstein: 11,478 votes

At midday Tuesday, Weinstein said she and her two running mates are still deciding how to proceed from here. The Monmouth County Clerk will officially certify the vote Wednesday, Nov. 19, which is the deadline the county has to certify and finalize the election.

Options include one of the candidates concedes the election, or a run-off election is held, or the candidates request a recount.

"We are weighing all of our options to ensure we make a decision that would best benefit our community," Weinstein said at midday Tuesday, when Patch asked.

As of Nov. 18, here are the 2025 Middletown school board election results:

• James Dobis 11,106 votes, 16.06 percent of the vote
• Christopher Aveta 11,670 votes, 16.87 percent of the vote (winner)
• James Cody 11,478 votes, 16.60 percent of the vote (tie)
• Sara Weinstein 11,478 votes, 16.60 percent of the vote (tie)
• Leonora Lacqua-Caminiti 5,814 votes, 8.41 percent of the vote
• Joseph Fitzgerald 5,528 votes, 7.99 percent of the vote
• Erin Torres 11,663 votes, 16.86 percent of the vote (winner)
• Write-in 426

Total votes cast in the 2025 Middletown school board election: 69,163

Stay tuned.