Editing Princeton, New Jersey (section)

==Government and politics==

===Local government===
Princeton is governed under the [[Borough (New Jersey)|borough]] form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey.<ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf ''Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601184216/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/inventory_of_municipal_forms_of_government_in_new_jersey.pdf |date=June 1, 2023 }}, [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref> The governing body is comprised of the mayor and the borough council, with all positions elected [[at-large]] on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The borough council includes six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The borough form of government used by Princeton is a "[[weak mayor]] / strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can [[veto]] ordinances subject to an [[veto override|override]] by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council.<ref>Cerra, Michael F. [http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924045019/http://www.njslom.org/magart0307_p14.html |date=September 24, 2014 }}, [[New Jersey State League of Municipalities]]. Accessed November 30, 2014.</ref><ref>[https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=6 "Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604040836/https://njdatabook.rutgers.edu/sites/njdatabook.rutgers.edu/files/documents/forms_of_municipal_government_in_new_jersey_9220.pdf#page=6 |date=June 4, 2023 }}, p. 6. [[Rutgers University]] Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Government>[http://www.princetonnj.gov/govbody.html Governing Body] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130327074814/http://www.princetonnj.gov/govbody.html |date=March 27, 2013 }}, Princeton, New Jersey. Accessed January 1, 2013.</ref>

The mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office, serves as Princeton's chief executive officer and nominates appointees to various boards and commissions subject to approval of the council. The mayor presides at council meetings and votes in the case of a tie or a few other specific cases.<ref name=Government/> The council consists of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle. The council has administrative powers and is the policy-making body for Princeton. The council approves appointments made by the mayor. Council members serve on various boards and committees and act as liaisons to certain departments, committees or boards.<ref name=Government/>

{{As of|2025}}, the [[Mayor of Princeton, New Jersey|mayor of Princeton]] is [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] Mark Freda, who is serving a four-year term expiring on December 31, 2028.<ref name=Mayor>[https://www.princetonnj.gov/939/Mayor-Mark-Freda Mayor Mark Freda] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220521192149/https://princetonnj.gov/939/Mayor-Mark-Freda |date=May 21, 2022 }}, Municipality of Princeton. Accessed April 23, 2023.</ref> Members of the Princeton Council are Council President Mia Sacks (D, 2026), David F. Cohen (D, 2027), Leticia Fraga (D, 2027), Michelle Pirone Lambros (D, 2026), Leighton Newlin (D, 2027) and Brian McDonald (D, 2027).<ref name=Council>[https://www.princetonnj.gov/872/Mayor-Council Council] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518204331/https://www.princetonnj.gov/872/Mayor-Council |date=May 18, 2022 }}, Municipality of Princeton. Accessed April 23, 2023.</ref><ref>[https://www.princetonnj.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10557/2022-Introduced-Budget-PDF#page=10 2022 Municipal Data Sheet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428181353/https://www.princetonnj.gov/DocumentCenter/View/10557/2022-Introduced-Budget-PDF#page=10 |date=April 28, 2022 }}, Municipality of Princeton. Accessed April 28, 2022.</ref><ref name=MercerOfficials>[https://www.mercercounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/22827/637794896457670000 Mercer County Elected Officials] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718064425/https://www.mercercounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/22827/637794896457670000 |date=July 18, 2023 }}, [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], as of January 2022. Accessed February 24, 2023.</ref><ref name=Mercer2022>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/116247/web.303253/#/summary General Election November 8, 2022 Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230718063048/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/116247/web.303253/#/summary |date=July 18, 2023 }}, [[Mercer County, New Jersey]] Clerk, updated November 8, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref><ref name=Mercer2021>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/111513/web.278093/#/summary General Election November 2, 2021 Official Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428181352/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/111513/web.278093/#/summary |date=April 28, 2022 }}, [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], updated November 20, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref><ref name=Mercer2020>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/107134/web.264614/#/summary General Election November 3, 2020 Official Results] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220428181405/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/107134/web.264614/#/summary |date=April 28, 2022 }}, [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], updated November 20, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.</ref><ref name=Mercer2019>[https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/98876/Web02.236009/#/ General Election November 2019 Official Results (Amended November 25, 2019)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128183412/https://results.enr.clarityelections.com/NJ/Mercer/98876/Web02.236009/#/ |date=November 28, 2020 }}, [[Mercer County, New Jersey]], updated December 9, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mayor & Council {{!}} Princeton, NJ |url=https://www.princetonnj.gov/872/Mayor-Council |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.princetonnj.gov}}</ref>

In 2018, Princeton had an average property tax bill of $19,388, the highest in the county, compared to an average bill of $8,767 statewide.<ref>Marcus, Samantha. [https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/04/these-are-the-towns-with-the-highest-property-taxes-in-each-of-njs-21-counties.html "These are the towns with the highest property taxes in each of N.J.'s 21 counties"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105221007/https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/04/these-are-the-towns-with-the-highest-property-taxes-in-each-of-njs-21-counties.html |date=November 5, 2019 }}, NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], April 22, 2019. Accessed November 5, 2019. "The average property tax bill in New Jersey was $8,767 last year. But there can be big swings from town to town and county to county.... The average property tax bill in Princeton was $19,388 in 2018, the highest in Mercer County."</ref>

===Merger of borough and township===
People in the township tried unsuccessfully to merge borough and township in a struggle that lasted nearly fifty years. The first failed attempt to consolidate borough and township was made in 1953, with 63% of township voters in favor of a merger and 57% of borough voters opposed.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1953/11/04/archives/bingo-for-charity-is-voted-in-jersey-margin-exceeds-21-newark.html "Bingo For Charity Is Voted In Jersey; Margin Exceeds 2-1 -- Newark Approves Shift to a Mayor and Nine Councilmen"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308233833/https://www.nytimes.com/1953/11/04/archives/bingo-for-charity-is-voted-in-jersey-margin-exceeds-21-newark.html |date=March 8, 2023 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 4, 1953. Accessed March 8, 2023. "In Princeton, a heated battle over a proposal to consolidate Princeton Borough and Princeton Township into a municipality ended in the plan's defeat. The final vote was 3,463 to 2,312. The borough, a heavily populated area of 1.76 square miles in the center of the 16.25 square-mile township, voted 1,965 to 1,450 against the consolidation. The township registered 1,498 votes against it. and 862 in favor."</ref> Subsequent attempts were voted down by borough residents, in large part due to different zoning needs of the densely populated borough versus the more widely spaced properties of the township (surrounding the borough). An attempt to consolidate in 1979 passed with 70% support in the township but failed in the borough by 33 votes, a result that was upheld after a recount.<ref>via [[Associated Press]]. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120465568/1979-princeton-merger-referendum-results/ "Princeton merger dead"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309003951/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120465568/1979-princeton-merger-referendum-results/ |date=March 9, 2023 }}, ''The Daily Register'', November 7, 1979. Accessed March 8, 2023, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "Although voters in Princeton Township endorsed a proposal to consolidate the township with Princeton Borough nearly 2-to-l, the measure was defeated in the borough by a mere 33 votes. The proposal needed majority approval in both municipalities to be instituted. Borough results showed 1,508 votes opposed to the merger with 1,475 in favor. Township voters overwhelmingly approved consolidation, with 3,432 yes votes and 1,444 against."</ref><ref>Fisher, Marc. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120464936/princeton-merger-attempt-fails/ "Princetons: No again on merger"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309003953/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/120464936/princeton-merger-attempt-fails/ |date=March 9, 2023 }}, ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]'', November 8, 1979. Accessed March 8, 2023, via [[Newspapers.com]]. "The fourth attempt in 30 years to consolidate Princeton Borough and Princeton Township failed Tuesday, this time by 33 votes. A proposal to merge was overwhelmingly approved in the township and defeated by 33 votes in the borough."</ref><ref>"Recount Upholds Consolidation's Defeat By 33 Votes as First Reported on Nov. 6", ''[[Town Topics (newspaper)|Town Topics]]'', November 21, 1979, p. 3.</ref> Although township voters again supported a 1996 merger referendum by an almost 3–1 margin, about 57% of borough voters rejected the consolidation proposal, marking the sixth such failure.<ref>Pristin, Terry. [https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/06/nyregion/princeton-will-stay-split.html "Princeton Will Stay Split"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308222327/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/11/06/nyregion/princeton-will-stay-split.html |date=March 8, 2023 }}, ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 6, 1996. Accessed March 8, 2023. "Since 1952, Princeton Borough has voted six times against a proposal to merge with Princeton Township. Yesterday, despite speculation that a heavy voter turnout among Princeton University students might reverse that trend, the borough rejected the measure by a vote of 1,878 to 1,418. As it has in the past, the township voted in favor of the proposal; the vote was 4,354 to 1,522. But to be approved, the measure had to be accepted by both municipalities."</ref>

The residents of both the Borough of Princeton and the Township of Princeton voted on November 8, 2011, to merge the two municipalities into one. This was the first referendum when university student voters were encouraged and allowed to register to vote locally, and that likely contributed strongly to the measure passing, as the students were not home owners concerned with zoning matters, and they all counted as part of the borough and not the township. In Princeton Borough, 1,385 voted for and 902 voted against, while in Princeton Township 3,542 voted for and 604 voted against. Proponents of the merger asserted that when the merger is completed the new Municipality of Princeton would save $3.2 million as a result of some scaled down services including layoffs of 15 government workers including 9 police officers (however the measure itself does not mandate such layoffs). Opponents of the measure challenged the findings of a report citing a cost savings as unsubstantiated, expressed concerns about differing zoning needs between borough and township, and noted that voter representation would be reduced in a smaller government structure. The merger was the first in the state since 1997, when [[Pahaquarry Township, New Jersey|Pahaquarry Township]] voted to consolidate with [[Hardwick Township, New Jersey|Hardwick Township]]<ref>Clerkin, Bridget. [https://www.nj.com/mercer/2011/11/princeton_voters_approve_conso.html "Princeton voters approve consolidation of borough, township into one municipality"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191117030720/https://www.nj.com/mercer/2011/11/princeton_voters_approve_conso.html |date=November 17, 2019 }}, ''[[The Times (Trenton)|The Times]]'', November 9, 2011, updated March 30, 2019. Accessed November 29, 2019. "Voters in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township approved today a consolidation of the two towns into a single municipality to be known as Princeton.... The referendum passed by a landslide in the township with 3,542 in favor and 604 against. In the borough, 1,385 voted for consolidation and 802 voted against.... This is the fifth time residents of both Princetons have been presented with the question of consolidation at the ballot. If approved by a majority in both municipalities, the merger will be the first in 14 years for New Jersey, since Pahaquarry's seven residents merged into adjacent Hardwick Township in Warren County in 1997.
"</ref> The consolidation took effect on January 1, 2013.<ref name=app>{{cite news |date= November 8, 2011 |title= 2 Princetons vote to merge into 1 town |url=https://6abc.com/archive/8424169/|website=ABC|access-date=December 11, 2024}}</ref>

===Federal, state and county representation===
Princeton is located in the 12th Congressional District<ref name=PCR2012>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf Plan Components Report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219202014/https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2012-congressional-districts/njcd-2011-plan-components-county-mcd.pdf |date=February 19, 2020 }}, [[New Jersey Redistricting Commission]], December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 16th state legislative district.<ref name=Districts2011>[https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf Municipalities Sorted by 2011-2020 Legislative District] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200802063544/https://www.nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/2011-legislative-districts/towns-districts.pdf |date=August 2, 2020 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]]. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref><ref name=LWV2019>[https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf ''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191105221009/https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/5bae63366fd2b2e5b9f87e5e/5d30f0a94a82c66427e564d2_2019_CitizensGuide.pdf |date=November 5, 2019 }}, New Jersey [[League of Women Voters]]. Accessed October 30, 2019.</ref><ref>[https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#16 Districts by Number for 2011-2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714024328/https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/districts/districtnumbers.asp#16 |date=July 14, 2019 }}, [[New Jersey Legislature]]. Accessed January 9, 2013.</ref>

{{NJ Congress 12}} {{NJ Senate}}

{{NJ Legislative 16}}

{{NJ Mercer County Freeholders}}

===Politics===
As of March 2011, there were a total of 18,049 registered voters in Princeton (a sum of the former borough and township's voters), of which 9,184 (50.9%) were registered as [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrats]], 2,140 (11.9%) were registered as [[Republican Party (United States)|Republicans]] and 6,703 (37.1%) were registered as [[Unaffiliated (New Jersey)|unaffiliated]]. There were 22 voters registered as [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarians]] or [[Green Party (United States)|Greens]].<ref>[http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-mercer-co-summary-report.pdf Voter Registration Summary - Mercer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130520233503/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/election-results/2011-mercer-co-summary-report.pdf |date=May 20, 2013 }}, [[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed November 21, 2012.</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ '''Presidential Elections Results*'''
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
![[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
![[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
![[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[2024 United States presidential election in New Jersey|2024]]<ref name="2024Elections">{{cite web|title=Presidential November 5, 2024 General Election Results Mercer County|url=https://nj.gov/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2024/2024-official-general-results-president-mercer.pdf|access-date=January 7, 2025}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|16.0% ''2,029''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''81.0%'''  ''10,292''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |2.9% ''373''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2020|2020]]<ref name="2020Elections">{{cite web|title=Presidential November 3, 2020 General Election Results Mercer County|url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2020/2020-official-general-results-president-mercer.pdf|access-date=June 21, 2022|archive-date=March 7, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230307051429/https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2020/2020-official-general-results-president-mercer.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|14.1% ''1,981''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''84.3%'''  ''11,858''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.6% ''235''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2016|2016]]<ref name="2016Elections">{{cite web|url=http://nj.gov/state/elections/2016-results/2016-gen-elect-presidential-results-mercer.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results - November 8, 2016 - Mercer County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2017}}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|14.1% ''1,817''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''81.8%'''  ''10,548''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |4.1% ''527''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-mercer.pdf|title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Mercer County|date=March 15, 2013|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 23, 2014|archive-date=December 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224050112/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-mercer.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|23.0% ''2,882''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''75.4%'''  ''9,461''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.6% ''205''
|}

In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2016|2016]], [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]], and [[2024 United States presidential election|2024]] presidential elections, the Democratic nominee received over 80% of the vote. Since at least [[2012 United States presidential election|2012]], that year's and the [[2024 United States presidential election|2024 presidential election]] were the only elections where the Republican nominee earned over 15% of the vote in the borough. In the [[United States presidential election in New Jersey, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Democrat [[Barack Obama]] received 75.4% of the vote (9,461 cast), ahead of Republican [[Mitt Romney]] with 23.0% (2,882 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (205 votes), among the 14,752 ballots cast by the municipality's 20,328 registered voters (2,204 ballots were [[Spoilt vote|spoiled]]), for a turnout of 72.6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-mercer.pdf |title=Presidential General Election Results - November 6, 2012 - Mercer County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224050112/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-presidential-mercer.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-mercer.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 6, 2012 - General Election Results - Mercer County |date=March 15, 2013 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-date=December 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224045621/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2012-results/2012-ballotscast-mercer.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; float:right; font-size:95%;"
|+ '''Gubernatorial Elections Results'''
|- style="background:lightgrey;"
! Year
![[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
![[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
![[Third Party (United States)|Third Parties]]
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2021|2021]]<ref name="2021Elections">{{cite web |url=https://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/assets/pdf/election-results/2021/2021-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf |website=www.state.nj.us |access-date=2023-09-12 |title=2021 General Election Results Governor Mercer |archive-date=January 1, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135257/http://www.njelections.org/2017-results/2017-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|18.6% ''1,553''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''80.5%'''  ''6,721''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |1.0% ''79''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2017|2017]]<ref name="2017Elections">{{cite web|url=http://www.njelections.org/2017-results/2017-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf|title=Governor - Mercer County|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135257/http://www.njelections.org/2017-results/2017-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf|archive-date=January 1, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|17.9% ''1,491''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''80.0%'''  ''6,648''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |2.0% ''169''
|-
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf|title=Governor - Mercer County|date=January 29, 2014|publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections|access-date=December 24, 2014|archive-date=January 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150101063506/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-mercer.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>'''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.2% ''2,780''
| style="text-align:center; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''58.8%'''  ''4,172''
| style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;" |2.7% ''145''
|}

In the [[New Jersey gubernatorial election, 2013|2013 gubernatorial election]], Democrat [[Barbara Buono]] received 58.8% of the vote (4,172 cast), ahead of Republican [[Chris Christie]] with 39.2% (2,780 votes), and other candidates with 2.0% (145 votes), among the 7,279 ballots cast by the municipality's 18,374 registered voters (182 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.6%.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-mercer-0131.pdf |title=Governor - Mercer County |date=January 31, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924133341/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-results-governor-mercer-0131.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{cite web |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-mercer.pdf |title=Number of Registered Voters and Ballots Cast - November 5, 2013 - General Election Results - Mercer County |date=January 31, 2014 |publisher=New Jersey Department of Elections |access-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924133311/http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/2013-results/2013-general-election-ballotscast-mercer.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>