Politics & Government
Two School Board Incumbents Lose Re-Election Bids
Michael Donlon, Vincent Brand and Bob Banta win Board of Education seats
Just one of three incumbents won re-election to Middletown's Board of Education in Tuesday's election.
Vincent Brand won another term, taking nearly 13 percent of the vote. But incumbents Christopher J. Aveta and John Bennett Jr. both lost their bids for another term, according to election tallies provided by Monmouth County.
Challengers Michael Donlon and Bob Banta won seats on the board, taking 17 and 11 percent of the vote, respectively.
Banta, who took 3,477 votes, narrowly defeated Bennett and newcomer Michael J. Ostrander Jr., who earned 3,449 and 3,448 votes, respectively, according to the county.
Aveta, who currently serves as board president, earned 2,474 votes, the results show.
Banta previous had been elected to the board but resigned early into his term to focus on his health.
The Board of Education race in Middletown was crowded in 2013, with 10 candidates seeking three seats on the board.
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