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West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District elections (2013)
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Method of election Elections What was at stake? Key deadlines Additional elections External links References |
West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District |
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Three seats were up for election on the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education on November 5, 2013. Four candidates from West Windsor sought two seats on the board while two candidates from Plainsboro vied for a single seat. Scott Powell and Louisa Ho defeated Rakesh Kak and Yingchao Zhang to win the two West Windsor seats. Yu Taylor Zhong defeated Alapakkam Manikandan to win the Plainsboro seat.
About the district
The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District serves students in Plainsboro and West Windsor in Mercer County, New Jersey. The population of Mercer County was 366,513 according to the 2010 U.S. Census.[1]
Demographics
Mercer County outperformed state averages for higher education achievement and median income while lagging behind the state poverty rate in 2010. The county had a poverty rate of 10.7% in the 2010 U.S. Census while the state rate was 9.4%. The 2010 U.S. Census calculated Mercer County's median income at $73,883 while the state median income was $71,180. The percentage of county residents over 25 years old with undergraduate degrees (38%) is higher than the state average (35%).[1]
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Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Method of board member selection
The West Windsoro-Plainsboro Board of Education consists of nine members who are elected by district to three-year terms. The board includes five seats for West Windsor members and four seats for Plainsboro members. Voters chose two candidates from West Windsor and one candidate from Plainsboro on November 5, 2013. Three seats are up for election each November.
Candidates for the Board of Education must be 18 years old, reside within the district and submit nominating petitions to the county clerk by the filing deadline. The district moved board elections from the third Tuesday of April to the first Tuesday of November after a 2012 state law provided greater flexibility for local election officials.[3]
Elections
2013
Candidates
Plainsboro
- Alapakkam Manikandan
- Incumbent
- Graduate, University of Bangalore
- QA Practice Head, Appirio
- Yu Taylor Zhong
- Financial risk manager
West Windsor
- Louisa Ho
- Incumbent
- Graduate, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Stay-at-home mom
- Rakesh Kak
- Graduate, Indian Institute of Technology and Columbia University
- Managing partner, View Partners
- Scott Powell
- Graduate, Carnegie Mellon University and University of Southern California
- Product manager, Prudential Financial
- Yingchao Zhang
- Graduate, University of Science and Technology of China and SUNY Stony Brook
- Director of sales engineering, NetScout Systems
Election results
| West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School School Board, Plainsboro District, 3-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan |  Yu Taylor Zhong |
52.2% | 1,484 | |
| Nonpartisan | Alapakkam Manikandan Incumbent | 47.8% | 1,360 | |
| Total Votes | 2,844 | |||
| Source: Middlesex County, "Election Results," November 12, 2013 | ||||
| West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School School Board, West Windsor District, 3-year term, 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Nonpartisan | Scott Powell |
30.2% | 2,977 | |
| Nonpartisan | Louisa Ho Incumbent |
29% | 2,866 | |
| Nonpartisan | Rakesh Kak | 24.8% | 2,448 | |
| Nonpartisan | Yingchao Zhang | 15.8% | 1,560 | |
| Nonpartisan | Personal choice | 0.2% | 19 | |
| Total Votes | 9,870 | |||
| Source: Mercer County Clerk, "Election Results," November 13, 2013 | ||||
Campaign finance
Candidates received a total of $2,735.91 and spent a total of $717.44 during the election, according to the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.[4]
In the Plainsboro District race, candidates received a total of $585.91 and spent a total of $585.91.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alapakkam Manikandan | $585.91 | $585.91 | $0.00 |
| Yu Taylor Zhong | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
In the West Windsor District race, candidates received a total of $2,150.00 and spent a total of $131.53.
| Candidate | Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louisa Ho | $2,000.00 | $0.00 | $2,000.00 |
| Rakesh Kak | $150.00 | $131.53 | $18.47 |
| Scott Powell | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Yingchao Zhang | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
What was at stake?
Incumbent Alapakkam Manikandan lost re-election for the Plainsboro seat to challenger Yu Taylor Zhong. The race for two seats from West Windsor included incumbent Louisa Ho and challengers Rakesh Kak, Scott Powell and Yingchao Zhang. Powell and Ho won those seats. Incumbent Hemant Marathe ran for Mayor of West Windsor after serving for nine years on the board.[5]
Key deadlines
The following dates were key deadlines for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education election in 2013:[6]
| Deadline | Event |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2013 | Last day for filing nominating petitions in school board elections |
| June 10, 2013 | Last day to challenge nominating petitions in school board elections |
| August 12, 2013 | County clerk draws ballot positions for candidates |
| September 6, 2013 | Last day for candidates to withdraw from general election ballot |
| November 5, 2013 | General election |
| December 3, 2013 | Certification of election results by Board of State Canvassers |
Additional elections on the ballot
The West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education elections shared the ballot with local and state elections. The general election included races for Mayor and two seats on the West Windsor Town Council. Residents of West Windsor also cast ballots for Governor along with seats in the New Jersey State Assembly and New Jersey State Senate. The November 5 ballot included proposed constitutional amendments that would establish cost of living adjustments for the state minimum wage and use gaming profits for veterans' organizations.[7]
See also
- New Jersey
- West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District, New Jersey
- Mercer County, New Jersey ballot measures
- Financial policies, education standards at stake in November school board elections
- School board election wrap-up: Incumbents re-elected overwhelmingly in November 5 elections
- School board elections review: Voters opt for experience over new blood in nation's largest school districts
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 2010 U.S. Census, "Quick Facts: Mercer County," accessed October 22, 2013
- ↑ Mercer County Clerk, "News," accessed October 22, 2013
- ↑ NJ.com, "Scores of N.J. school districts moving elections from April to November," February 26, 2012
- ↑ New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, "Standard Search," accessed December 27, 2013
- ↑ NJ.com, "West Windsor-Plainsboro school board president to challenge mayor in November election," June 24, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 General Election Timeline," accessed October 21, 2013
- ↑ New Jersey Department of State, "2013 Election Information," accessed October 21, 2013
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