FLORHAM PARK — In the Republican primary race for the Florham Park mayorship, Mayor Mark Taylor emerged victorious over Borough Councilman Charles Germershausen, according to the election night results.
Taylor secured 861 votes, while Germershausen received 452 votes, as reported by the unofficial results from the Morris County Clerk’s Office. The tally included votes from Election Day machines, early voting, and mail-in ballots received before the polls closed on Tuesday evening. However, the results remained unofficial pending the counting of provisional and mail-in ballots postmarked on or before Election Day.
Simultaneously, Florham Park Borough Council President Charles Malone and resident Glen Johnstone clinched the Republican nomination for two seats on the all-Republican council. Malone led the race with 787 votes, closely followed by Johnstone with 761 votes, while Doreen Cali, a resident of Elmwood Road, trailed behind with approximately 200 fewer votes at 544.
Johnstone, a retired Florham Park police sergeant and former member of the Hanover Park Regional and Florham Park boards of education, and Cali, a retired municipal clerk, both made their debut as candidates for the Borough Council. They ran alongside Germershausen as part of a three-person ticket opposing Mayor Taylor and Council President Malone.
The two winners of the Republican council election will now participate in a three-way race against Democrat John William Upton in the upcoming general election in November. In the uncontested Democratic primary, Upton garnered 410 votes.
Taylor will run unopposed in the general election for the mayoral position as no Democrats filed their candidacy for mayor. Having served as mayor since 2013 and as a councilman for seven years, Taylor is set to embark on his third full four-year term in January.
Germershausen, a councilman since 2003 and previously faced defeats against Taylor in mayoral races will conclude his tenure on the council when his term expires in December. He opted not to seek re-election to his council seat this year to run for the mayoral position.
On the other hand, Malone will commence his fourth three-year council term in January, while Johnstone will begin his first term.