By KIM SMITH DEDAM and LOHR McKINSTRY
ELIZABETHTOWN — Kristy L. Sprague has officially prevailed in the race for Essex County district attorney.
A final, official count of absentee ballots Monday gave the win to Sprague by 125 votes against incumbent DA Julie Garcia.
Running on the Republican and independent lines, Sprague won on Election Day by a margin of 75 votes — 6,053 to 5,978 — over Garcia, who ran as a Democrat.
The Essex County Board of Elections had 858 absentee ballots to count, and both candidates picked up votes over three days of closely watched ballot tabulation.
County Democratic Election Commissioner David Mace and Acting Republican Commissioner Patti Doyle counted the 266 permanent absentee ballots Thursday and Friday and the remaining one-time absentee ballots all day Monday.
Lawyers from both camps monitored the absentee count. At about 4 p.m. Monday, the count concluded, and Garcia’s counsel, James Long, admitted defeat.
“I consent and withdraw the applications I have” to challenge ballots, Long said.
The impoundment of all the ballots in the election was then lifted. About 15 absentee ballots had been set aside after challenges from Long and Sprague’s attorney, Paul DerOhannesian II.
The County Board of Elections said it won’t release the official figures for more than a week.
‘POSITIVE CHANGES’
Sprague was elated and hugged family members who sat with her in the county’s old modular jail while ballots were counted.
“I’m just looking forward to getting this behind us and starting the New Year as district attorney,” Sprague said. “I want to bring positive changes to the county and be a hands-on prosecutor.”
She said she was appreciative of all the support she received.
“I want to thank my family and all my supporters and especially all voters who took the time to exercise their right to vote. I think this is a good lesson for everyone — every vote counts.”
GARCIA CONCEDES
Garcia said that considering she lost the Republican primary and was only on the Democratic line in the general election, she did pretty well.
“I want to thank all my supporters. Without them, we never would have been able to come this close. I want to congratulate my opponent. I wish her every success in her new role as district attorney.”
Garcia said she hasn’t decided yet what she’ll do when she leaves office.
“I’m not sure what the future holds. I’m optimistic that it all works out in the end. I will miss being a public servant in Essex County.”
WENT SMOOTHLY
DerOhannesian had sued the County Board of Elections Thursday to get copies of absentee-ballot applications, but he challenged few ballots.
“It was a very smooth process,” DerOhannesian said. “Problems with absentees, I would say, were minimal.”
Long said he thought it would be much closer once absentees were counted.
“She (Garcia) ran a good race. We saw it though to the end, and Sprague pulled ahead.”
The count was monitored by County Attorney Daniel Manning III, who said there were few problems between the attorneys.
“I thought everyone did a good job and abided by the rules.”
TOWN RACES
In town races, the Elizabethtown Town Council race turned around, with incumbent Republican Joseph Martin pulling ahead of independent Angel Marvin, 209 to 200, in the final count.
Martin had been losing by three votes on Election Day.
Also winning re-election to Town Council was Republican Kenneth Fenimore with 239 votes.
In the Essex town supervisor race, Supervisor-elect Sharon Boisen widened her lead over incumbent Ronald Jackson, winning by 28 votes.
The final count gave Boisen, an independent, 182 votes, and Jackson, a Republican, 154. She had been winning by just 14 votes on Election Day.
Boisen said she was planning to relax Monday evening.
“It’s finally over, and I can focus on the real tasks at hand.”
Jackson had been scheduled to chair the County Board of Supervisors next year, and his loss puts that coveted post up for grabs.
E-mail Lohr McKinstry at:
lmckinstry@pressrepublican.com
