Republican Pemberton Township Mayor Matthew Bianchini has conceded the mayoral race to Democrat Belinda Fontanez, a month after video showed him being restrained as he moved toward a resident during a council meeting.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Bianchini congratulated Fontanez and said he supported a smooth transition. He added that the township’s future mattered more than any one election.
Unofficial results showed Bianchini received just over 30% of the vote. He was appointed mayor after his predecessor resigned and is expected to remain in office through the end of the year.
At an October council meeting, resident Michael Sawka appeared to make an obscene gesture toward Bianchini. Video showed the mayor moving toward Sawka while another person held him back. Bianchini shouted a threat during the confrontation.
Bianchini later acknowledged that what he said was wrong and said he would not actually harm anyone. He also defended his reaction, alleging that Sawka had made verbally abusive remarks about his wife and daughter and gestured toward his daughter.
Bianchini’s wife, who was at the meeting, later wrote online that she did not condone his actions but understood his instinct to protect his family.
The mayor and Sawka have had a long-running dispute. Bianchini has described Sawka as a persistent problem for the township and accused him of harassing his family. Sawka denied making comments about Bianchini’s family and said he had been trying to draw attention to what he viewed as wasted public money.
Sawka also said Bianchini’s relatives had targeted him online with personal attacks. Bianchini previously described himself as having “snapped,” saying the conflict had been building for a long time. He called his actions wrong, but also said he felt they were justified and would respond the same way again if necessary.
