Politics & Government

Wall School Board Candidate: Don't Vote For Me

School board candidate wants someone, anyone, else to win; another candidate is ineligible to hold a seat.

Editor's Note: This article originally appeared on Oct. 1, 2013. It is being reposted today because of obvious election day implications.

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As elections predictions go, the safe money is on Denise Vodola to win a one-year unexpired term on the Wall Township Board of Education in the coming November election.

Find out what's happening in Wallwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Vodola, after all, is running unopposed, making her shoo-in for the seat. Easy bet.

But no one wants Denise Vodola to lose the election more than Denise Vodola.

Find out what's happening in Wallwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Vodola, of Racquet Road, has changed her mind since initially filing to run for the seat, she said. She doesn’t want it.

“Although my name is listed on the November ballot for the one year unexpired term on the Wall Township Board of Education, I am no longer actively seeking the seat,’’ Vodola says in the statement. “Please accept my sincere apology for any inconvenience my decision has caused.”

Vodola said she sent letters to the school district and to the Monmouth County Board of Elections rescinding her intention to seek the school board seat.

But M. Claire French, Monmouth County clerk, said the Board of Elections never received Vodola’s letter. Wall schools Business Administrator Brian Smyth said the district received a letter from Vodola, but understood it was in reference to an earlier appointment the board was considering, not for the general election.

Regardless, French said, neither entity has the power to take Vodola’s name off the ballot. That’s done by the clerk’s office, French said.

The election ballots are already printed. Absent a court order to remove Vodola’s name and reprint all the ballots in Wall Township, her name will be the only to appear for the one-year seat, French said.

Vodola, like it or not, will be likely be the winner, unless a write-in candidate receives more votes.

Should she win, Vodola has the option to decline the seat. The school board will then have to find a replacement to take the seat until the next election, French said.

Three, three-year terms are also up for grabs in the November election, along with a two-year unexpired term, in addition to the one-year unexpired term.

For the three-year terms, six have filed, but only five are eligible if elected. Those running are:

  • Ralph Addonizio, of Shoreline Drive 
  • Eric Brophy, of Cortland Drive
  • Kiriakos (Kirk) Evangeliou, of Sycamore Street
  • Timothy J. Farrell, of Walton Way
  • Michael R. Pirtle II, of Atlantic Avenue
  • Mary Catherine McCarthy-Spellman, formerly of Campbell Road
Mary Catherine McCarthy-Spellman moved out of the district and resigned from the board last month after filing to run for a full term. It was unclear Monday whether her name will still be on the ballot. 

Two candidates have filed for a two-year unexpired term:

  • Kerrin A. McGowan, of Orchard Crest Boulevard
  • Colin L. Nash, of Sycamore Street


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