Councilwoman elected as new mayor of Edison

Councilwoman elected
as new mayor of Edison

After narrow primary win
over Choi, Ricigliano defeats
Planning Board chair Pipala

BY DAN NEWMAN
Staff Writer

EDISON — Following her huge upset of incumbent Mayor Jun Choi in the Democratic mayoral primary five months ago, Township Councilwoman Antonia Ricigliano finished her rise to the top by soundly defeating Republican Dennis Pipala on Tuesday night by a count of 12,186 votes to 8,000. The victory makes her the first female leader in township history.
Ricigliano’s slate, current councilman Robert Diehl (11,483), newcomer Thomas Lankey (11,099) and former councilman Charles Tomaro (11,313), also won over their Republican counterparts, newcomers Lori Bonderowitz (7,884), Mary Lou Resner (7,995) and Norman Van Houten (7,704).
By the time the polls closed at 8 p.m., there were already more than 100 people milling about inside and outside Ricigliano’s Route 1 campaign headquarters. Once the results started coming in, there was little doubt as to who Edison’s next mayor was going to be.
About an hour later, Ricigliano and her slate came out to deliver a victory speech to their supporters
“We’re back,” Tomaro exclaimed, eliciting a roar from the overflow crowd. “We returned and really kicked some [butt] tonight.
Ricigliano then took over as emcee for the event and admitted that even she was surprised at the momentum she picked up along the way.
“Even before the primary, it looked like all of this wouldn’t happen. But all of you people just kept it going,” Ricigliano said. “Now it’s time to fix things in Edison Township, and that won’t be easy. I just want to make sure that our town is safe. That to me is a huge priority.”
Tomaro then told a story about his chance meeting two days before Election Day with former Republican candidate Raymond Koperwhats, who dropped out of the mayoral race soon after the June primary.
“I asked Koperwhats if he was ready for a landslide,” Tomaro said. “I guess we all got our answer tonight.”
Also on hand for the festivities was Thomas Paterniti, longtime chairman of the township’s Democratic organization.
“I am so glad that Toni and her slate won tonight,” Paterniti said. “Everybody came through and everybody delivered. Without the people’s support, this would not have been possible.”
Newcomer Lankey said he is looking forward to working with the rest of the council on making Edison a better place.
“This is definitely the most satisfying thing I have ever done in my life,” Lankey said. “Edison is back and I know the people in this town are happy as hell.”
After the winners were done celebrating at headquarters, it was on to the Pines Manor, where many county Democrats congratulated Ricigliano as she led the way in with all of her supporters close behind, chanting her name.
“It’s such a range of emotions for me really,” Ricigliano said. “I was nervous all day, right up until the polls closed. So many people told me that it was over back in June but I never let up. Something like tonight was too important for me to let up on.”
Diehl felt the same way, saying that the day of an election is “always a unique experience.”
“The way today has gone on, I couldn’t be happier,” Diehl said.
Ricigliano’s only disappointment on her big day was that as of 11 p.m. on election night, three hours after the polls had closed, Pipala still had not officially conceded the race.
“I’m a little surprised that he has not reached out to me,” Ricigliano said. “If I was in his position, I would at the very least call and congratulate him.”