Candidates Night returns for voters to hear directly from three candidates who will vie for two seats on the Cranbury Township Committee.
Democrat Eman El-Badawi, an incumbent and the current mayor, Republican candidate Joseph Buonavolonta and Democratic candidate Robert Christoper will make their case directly to Cranbury voters virtually in the township’s annual tradition of Candidates Night, which takes place this year on Oct. 8 at 7 p.m. through Zoom.
The Woman’s Club of Cranbury is hosting Candidates Night in partnership with the Cranbury Public Library. Those who wish to receive a link to watch virtually through Zoom must register for the event to get the link.
People will be able to watch the Zoom together in person at the Cranbury Public Library and those who attend Candidates Night can ask questions to the candidates.
El-Badawi is seeking a second term on the Township Committee. She was first elected in 2021 as Cranbury’s first Muslim, Indian, and Egyptian Township Committee member. Her election as deputy mayor and mayor by fellow Committee members were both firsts for Cranbury.
She received a bachelor’s degree from Douglass College at Rutgers University and works in a development biology lab. She has volunteered in town and is the outreach director for the New Jersey Islamic Networks Group, an educational organization promoting tolerance and understanding of Islam and other religions.
Buonavolonta is looking to earn his first term on the Township Committee. He currently sits on the township’s Zoning Board of Adjustment and has served in the Cranbury Volunteer Fire Department for 16 years.
He works in public works and private business. He volunteers in town and has worked and previously served on the Clock Winding Committee. Buonavolonta attempts to be the first Republican elected since Republican Committeewoman Evelyn Spann finished out her term in 2022.
Christoper is also seeking his first term on the Township Committee. He has been serving on the Cranbury Township Board of Education since 2020, which included time as Cranbury’s representative to the Princeton Board of Education.
He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the College of New Jersey, volunteers and is currently a director for Omnichannel Orchestration at Indegene, a company focused on modernizing healthcare operations.
