Rupande Mehta won the Democratic party endorsement Sunday night to challenge Republican state Sen. Anthony M. Bucco this fall in District 25.

The contest among three candidates was so close it likely would have been stirring to witness. But that could not happen.

In response to the coronavirus, Morris County Democrats bypassed the scheduled convention in Parsippany for an online vote.

And what a vote it was.

Three candidates were in the race and a majority was needed to win.

After the first vote, the tally read as follows:

Mehta: 105

Jeff Grayzel: 105

Cliff Dawkins: 71.

So, Dawkins was eliminated and a second vote taken.

Mehta polled 136; Grayzel 134.

Interestingly, 281 people voted the first time, but only 270 the second time. The margin was a mere two votes and 11 people didn’t vote the second time.

You have to wonder why.

When we have “live” conventions,  it is customary for some people to leave after the first vote. But given the fact this was a computer vote, where did they go?

Mehta expressed hope Morris Dems would be unified this fall and observed that the vote shows county committee members are concerned about “the issues that matter to LD-25 residents.”

Mehta, of Denville, is an analytical specialist who has a masters in public administration.

Mehta still has to win the June primary to officially secure the nomination, but that is considered a formality. The vote this fall is a special election necessitated by the death last year of Anthony R.
Bucco.