Pemberton mayor concedes reelection loss after council-meeting confrontation

Politics · First reported 5 Nov, 06:58 · Updated 18:49

Image: Wikimedia Commons · NASA Johnson Space Center · Public domain

Pemberton Township Mayor Matthew Bianchini conceded to Democratic challenger Belinda Fontanez after receiving just over 30% of the vote in unofficial results. His concession followed a widely reported confrontation in which he moved toward resident Michael Sawka during a council meeting and was restrained by others.

Bianchini conceded the mayoral race to Fontanez on Wednesday and said he supported a smooth transition.
Unofficial results put Bianchini at just over 30% of the vote; the Post reported 1,983 votes.
At an October township meeting, Bianchini moved toward resident Michael Sawka and was blocked by people present.
Bianchini said he reacted after a gesture he viewed as directed at his daughter; Sawka denied making comments toward Bianchini’s family, according to the reports.
Bianchini was appointed to serve the remainder of his predecessor’s term and was expected to remain mayor through the end of the year.