Maplewood Township Committee Democratic candidate Kurt Kiley offered a gracious concession to his primary opponent and fellow Democrat Deborah Engel today via Facebook. With 95.45% of districts reporting, Engel bested Kiley by a vote count of 1.825 to 333.
“I would like to congratulate Deborah Winikoff Engel on winning the Democratic Primary for Township Committee, I wish you luck, your success is Maplewood’s success,” wrote Kiley.
He continued:
Next, I would like to thank all the people of Maplewood who voted for me, I really can’t express how truly humbled and honored I am to have had your respect and support.
Thank you to the League of Woman Voters and Hilton Neighborhood Association for organizing the candidate debates, they are important part of democracy and keeping the electorate informed. It was a pleasure and helped me in my evolution as a candidate.
Thank you to everyone who gave me guidance and support during the campaign.
And finally, but always most importantly, thank you to my wife Carol Stefan, my rock, who always believes in me, kept me steady and focused, and was the most positive force in my campaign.
Engel responded with equal grace: “Thank you, Kurt, and I look forward to continuing to work together in the future. I enjoyed discussing the issues with you and am happy we gave the residents of Maplewood a choice this year. I think you and I both agree that political competition is good, to put the power in the hands of the people, where it should always reside. I thank you for your involvement with the Maplewood Dems ballot reform, and I am glad we were able to engage the community throughout this primary season.”
