Rose concedes to Pierce in Sussex

SUSSEX-After being appointed in August to fill a vacant council seat on the Sussex Borugh Council, 25-year-old Jonathan Rose gained the confidence to run for actual election in November. Although Rose is a registered Republican, he ran on an Independent ticket because he missed the June primary. Along with fellow Republicans John Pierce and John Stendor, Rose campaigned and ran for one of two three-year terms available. In the preliminary count on election night, Stendor led all candidates with 433. Rose followed with 344 votes, three more than Pierce's 341. But two days later, the results were declared inaccurate because the absentee, provisional and military votes had not yet been counted. On Nov. 12, Rose filed for a recount before Superior Court Judge Bozonelis. A week later, all ballots were counted and considered valid. The recount pushed Rose's total to 358 votes, but that was a single vote shy of the 359 Pierce received. The recount convinced Rose that there was enough evidence for him to feel that justice was done. On Nov. 24, he conceded to Pierce. "Thank you to all of the voters and citizens who supported me in my race to become councilman of Sussex Borough," Rose said in a prepared statement. "After researching the legality of all votes to ensure that the will of the electorate prevailed, I have decided that the best course of action at this time is to concede the election to Mr. Pierce. "Although we have discovered several small voting irregularities, an election should be decided by the will of the voters, not a protracted legal process. I plan to honor and assist the new councilman in any way possible for the benefit of this community." Stendor who will begin his second term as councilman commented "I sincerely feel that Jonathan Rose handled the situation honorably. He tried hard and did not get that one vote and in my opinion he is certainly qualified for the position." Rose, who is a lifetime resident of Sussex Borough, owns and operates Farious Net Solutions, a computer consulting business serving Sussex Coutny. When asked if he had any future political plans, Rose replied, "No. For right now, I am taking a break." Pierce could not be reached for comment.