Election Results: Three Council Candidates Advance in Primaries

Three candidates for city council have advanced following uncontested primary elections on Tuesday.

Incumbent councilwoman Betsey Garlatti received 1,034 votes. She is joined by newcomers Glenn J. Fleming Sr. and John A. Anderson.

Fleming received 1,002 votes and Anderson received 997 votes.

13 write-ins were received on the Democratic ticket, and five Republican write-ins were received, according to the Middlesex County Clerk website.

All three candidates were the of the New Brunswick Democratic Organization.

Three seats are open on city council: Garlatti's, the seat of council president Robert Recine and councilman Jimmie L. Cook Jr.

On Tuesday, three newcomers filed their petitions and 117 signatures total to also run in the November General Election, as the "Unbought & Unbossed” party.

Charlie Kratovil, 26, Jonathan Coloma, 22 and Yolonda Baker, 43, all turned in petitions on Tuesday to the Middlesex County Clerk's Office, according to a press release on their behalf.

According to the release, Baker is a second term Democratic Commiteewoman and a working mother who is involved with the local public schools.

Coloma is a lifelong resident of New Brunswick and works as a maintenance supervisor, and attends Rutgers University, according to the release. He also owns a small business.

Kratovil is an established community organizer around New Brunswick, having worked for NJ Food and Water Watch and The Citizens Campaign. He also runs the website newbrunswicktoday.com.

In the release, the trio named problems with city safety, the public school district and communication between the council and city residents as areas they believed need improvement.

"I've lived in this City my whole life, and I'm not the only one who is tired of excuses from city hall” Coloma was quoted as saying in the release. "New Brunswick residents deserve a city council that will treat them with equality and respect. How can we move forward when many people can’t feel safe and secure in their neighborhood?"

Photos of Coloma, Kratovil and Baker are not yet available.