MORRISTOWN – Both campaigns said the action would come down to a battle in the 2nd Ward, which Mayor Donald Cresitello won four years ago by150 votes, on his way to winning the election overall by 200 votes.
The fusion this year of Councilwoman Michelle Harris-King with Cresitello challenger Tim Dougherty breaks up the 2nd ward's African-American electorate, which Cresitello is aggressively trying to keep in his column heading toward tonight's Election Day deadline.
"I know he was campaigning in there yesterday," said Dougherty, "but so was I."
Dougherty figures he will win inhis own4th ward, where he takes credit for Cresitello's 2005 success, while Cresitellocheckmates that with his own3rd Ward base. That leaves them scrapping for votes in the other wards, but both working overtime in the 2nd., a poaching ground forDemocratic Primary votes.
On Tuesday morning, Dougherty stood in front of his campaign headquaters and called to voters. Across the street, Cresitello did the same, and worked the phones.
