Polls closed at 8pm this evening and results have been slowly coming in through the Mercer County Clerk. Based on those results, it appears that the Hopewell Township Committee race has gone to Democratic candidate Julie Blake, a teacher and political new-comer who has appeared to pull out a victory over one-term incumbent and current mayor Republican Harvey Lester. Based on the Mercer County Clerk’s reporting as of early this evening, Blake had 54% of the vote to Lester’s 45%, with 12 out of 12 districts reporting.
When reached for comment, Ms. Blake said, “I am tremendously honored by the faith Hopewell Township voters have expressed in me. I am committed to working across party lines and being responsive to ALL the voters of Hopewell Valley. I want to thank Mr. Lester for a spirited campaign and for his years of service to the Township and to NJ. I am looking forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work. “
