Split Ticket Fair Haven Council Win Stands — Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect

It’s still a close final count, but the provisional and Election Day mail-in ballots have been tallied and the results remain the same in the Fair Haven Borough Council race.

The split ticket stands. One Democrat and one Republican will take their seats on the dais in January.

A total of 4,599 votes were cast for the council election in the 1.6-square-mile borough comprised of roughly 6,000.

In the final count, the highest vote getter was still Democrat newcomer to the race, Michal DiMicelli, with now a total of 1,190, or roughly 26 percent. The unofficial tally for DiMicelli was 1,132 votes, making the final count an increase of 58 votes. Republican Brian Olson garnered 1,141 votes, nearly 25 percent. Olson’s vote count went up 20 votes.

DiMicelli’s running mate, Neil Blecher, ended up with 1,131 votes, 10 less than Olson. Melissa Lowry, Olson’s running mate, garnered the least amount of votes, or 1,134. In the end, there were also three write-ins.

Olson and DiMicelli will be sworn in at the January reorganization meeting as Chris Rodriguez and Laline Neff, both Democrats, vacate their seats. Neither incumbent sought re-election. Rodriguez ran for mayor last year. DiMicelli and Olson will join sitting Republican council members Tracy Cole, Betsy Koch, Kristen Hoey and Drew LaBarbera.

Once the DiMicelli and Olson are sworn in, the political composition of council will change to five Republicans and one Democrat, Di Micelli. Historically, Fair Haven Borough Council has been mostly all-Republican. That changed in the past few elections, with Democrats attaining an unprecedented 4-2 majority on the six-member dais a few years ago.

Fair Haven Borough Council members do not earn a salary nor do they have health benefits.