In Holmdel, Impreveduto and Buontempo Win Office

Mayor Patrick Impreveduto and running mate Greg Buontempo both won three-year terms on the Township Committee Tuesday. 

The Republican team captured 3532, or 61 percent of the 5766 votes cast in Holmdel. Democratic Party challengers Brian McFarland and Anish Kumar together received 2234 votes, or 39 percent of the votes cast.

Impreveduto and Buontempo will join two more Republicans, Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso and Committeeman Eric Hinds, on the Committee. The fifth member of the Committee is Democrat Larry Fink.

The results from the county clerk's office are:

At a festive gathering of friends at Deputy Mayor Serena DiMaso's home, Impreveduto said he was elated with the results, and satisfied that he would be returned to office to finish the work he started -- especially to represent the best interests of Holmdel in the future transaction of the Alcatel-Lucent property. Speaking for his fellow Committee members, he said, "It's on the forefront of our minds, every day," he said.

He said he recognizes the financial obstacles that lie ahead in balancing the township budget. Keeping the current level of services is getting more and more difficult with rising cost of workers' pensions and health care, he said.  "I am going to instruct our economic team of Larry [Fink] and Eric [Hinds] to start meeting with our economic group or residents, on the finance committee."

Greg Buontempo said he was grateful to the residents who voted for him and Mayor Impreveduto. "I think it's a big responsibility," he said, adding, "I guess I'm a little overwhelmed. It was a very strong showing, one that I was working for, and hoping to achieve."

Over at a rock-and-roll buffet of the county's Democratic Party faithful at Yesterday's Restaurant in Holmdel, Brian McFarland and Anish Kumar reflected on the loss.

"I'm disappointed," said McFarland. "On the other hand, I'm gratified and honored for the votes I did get."

Their Republican rivals had said they had knocked on 3,000 doors by last week, and on the night before the election, had made 2500 get-out-the-vote phone calls.

"I think they have a bigger machine," said McFarland. "And Holmdel is historically Republican. They tend to vote the party line."

But still, he was heartened that he got the number of votes he had. "It means some people are listening to us with an open mind." He said he'd be willing to run again out of "love and concern" for Holmdel, as it faces a $2.5 million revenue shortfall in 2012. "I'd do anything I could to help the Township Committee," he said.

Anish Kumar said he was grateful for the "fantastic" experience of running for office, despite what he perceived as the uphill battle of being a Democrat in a Republican-leaning town.

Would he run again? "I'm not sure," he said.