As of press time, Wednesday morning, November 3, Pamela Chirls and Jenissa Arnette have tallied the most votes for the open Livingston Public Schools Board of Education seats, according to preliminary results of this year’s General Election. Chirls, the incumbent, and Arnette both lead challenger James Calderón for the two open seats on the Board.With 10,661 votes cast (and 24 of 26 districts reporting as of Wednesday morning), according to the Essex County clerk’s office, Chirls received 4,507 votes (42.28 percent). Arnette received 3,614 votes (33.90 percent), followed by Calderón with 2,540 votes (23.83 percent).Chirls will retain her Board seat for another term, while Arnette will assume the role for the first time. Both Arnette and Calderón ran for a single open seat on the Board in 2020, losing to Vineeta Khanna.Due to the large quantity of paper ballots, final tallies were not available before press time. Results are preliminary and come from the county clerk’s office. The Tribune will update these results if they change in the coming days.“I cannot begin to express my appreciation to all who worked tirelessly and placed your confidence in my campaign for reelection,” Chirls said in a statement on Facebook following her win. “We have exciting opportunities to engage in meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders and use data to inform district decisions for the benefit of our students in committees like SEPAC, Equity, and Mental Health.”Chirls continued, “As we build the Strategic Plan, I look forward to collaboration with all stakeholders so we can keep our curriculum programs strong, build cross-curricular opportunities to nurture student passions, and ensure that Livingston Public Schools serves the needs of all learners and welcomes staff, students, and families for years to come. Let’s get to work.”A statement from Arnette was not issued prior to press time Wednesday. If we receive one, we will publish it in next week’s edition of the Tribune.Other RacesElsewhere in New Jersey, the gubernatorial race between incumbent Democratic Governor Phil Murphy and Republican challenger Jack Ciattarelli is too close to call as of press time. Left to count are vote-by-mail ballots, many from areas that favor Democratic candidates.In the New Jersey State Senate, for Livingston’s 27th Legislative District, incumbent Democratic Senator Richard Codey appears to have beat Republican challenger Adam Kraemer.For the State General Assembly in the 27th District, incumbent Democratic Representatives John McKeon and Mila Jasey appear to have defeated Republican challengers ...
