NJ elections 2023: Ocean County GOP Primary: Major upset in Republican races

While the eyes of Ocean County's political class were mostly focused on the Republican primary in Toms River on Tuesday night where in a major upset Councilman Daniel Rodrick defeated Mayor Maurice B. “Mo” Hill Jr., theirs was not the only contested race in this GOP-dominated stronghold of New Jersey.

Another shift in the local political landscape took place in the Republican primary in Point Pleasant Beach, where Borough Council President Doug Vitale won the party's nomination for mayor.

Vitale defeated Councilwoman Arlene Testa — who had the official Republican line — and former Mayor Stephen Reid in what was a three-way race.

According to unofficial results from the Ocean County Clerk's Office, Vitale won with 511 votes, Testa received 329 votes and Reid came in third with 318 votes on Tuesday night.

"The Republicans are off to a great start," declared Ocean County Republican Chairman George R. Gilmore late Tuesday. "It's off to victory in November."

In the 12th Legislative District race where votes were still being counted on Tuesday night, incumbent Republican Assembly members Robert Clifton and Alex Sauickie appeared poised to win their primary over challenger Salvatore Giordano. The 12th District stretches from Middlesex to Burlington counties, and includes the Ocean County towns of Jackson and Plumsted.

A seat on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners was contested in name only on the Republican ballot.

Frank Sadeghi of Toms River, a civil engineer and principal owner of Morgan Engineering in Island Heights, was the county GOP’s choice to succeed Joseph H. Vicari, who is retiring from the commission at the end of the year after more than 40 years in the seat.

On paper at least, Francis “Frank” Quinn, of Toms River, had challenged Sadeghi on the “Toms River First Republicans” — the same slate as Toms River mayoral candidate Geri Ambrosio, and her Township Council running mates Sergio Fossa, R. Garry Mundy and Norvella “Pug” Lightbody.

Sadeghi won the Republican nomination with 19,089 votes. Quinn received 7,108 votes, according to the unofficial results.

Gilmore, who had backed Sadeghi for county commissioner and Ambrosio and her ticket in the Toms River municipal race, said the presence of Quinn as a candidate for commissioner was all about ballot optics and placement.

More Ocean County news:Wildfire burning in Jackson triples in size, avoid area: NJ Forest Fire Service

Indeed, Ambrosio’s ticket was awarded Column B on the ballot, next to the official candidates endorsed by the Regular Republican Organization of Ocean County in Column A.

Quinn, who did not respond to an Asbury Park Press request for information about his campaign ahead of the election, had no expectation of actually winning, Gilmore said.

“I don’t think the results would have been much different if the campaign had been real,” Gilmore said.

In Beachwood, where Mayor Ronald F. Roma Jr. is retiring from office at the end of the year after more than a decade in power, there were competing Republican tickets for mayor and two seats on the Borough Council.

Former Republican Mayor Harold R. Morris, who lost a 2007 reelection bid after nearly a decade in office, was challenging the official GOP line in a comeback bid.

Morris was running with council candidates Philip A. Schena and Patrick George Reilly on a slate titled “Republicans for a Better Beachwood.”

Related:Ocean County voters to cast ballots Tuesday on new voting machines

Morris had hoped to defeat Borough Council President William J. Cairns for the nomination, who was running for mayor on the official county Republican line with council candidates Steven Komsa and Thomas Prince.

By the end of the night, it was clear the comeback had foundered. Cairns prevailed in the mayor's race over Morris 550 to 340, and also defeated his ticket. Kosma received 527 votes, Prince 523 votes, Schena 358 votes and Reilly 330 votes.

Another contested Republican race was on the Township Committee in Plumsted where a seat for a full three-year term and a seat for an unexpired one-year term were on the ballot. Incumbents Leonard A. Grilletto and Michael Hammerstone had the official Republican line, respectively.

They were being challenged for the offices by John Neyenhouse and Katherine Tallon, respectively, who were running on the ticket titled: “Republicans Accomplishing More Together.”

The incumbents won. Grilletto received 465 votes, Neyenhouse 286 votes in their contest; Hammerstone received 475 votes and Tallon 272 votes in their contest.

In Toms River:Incumbents lose in township GOP primary for mayor, council

A wildfire in Jackson on Tuesday that threatened as many as 30 homes and other structures — in the area of East Commodore Boulevard and Cedar Swamp Road — briefly cut off access to a local polling place when a road block was set up that inadvertently prevented access, Gilmore said.

Staff from the county Board of Elections immediately contacted Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy to alert him of the issue. The sheriff then ordered that the road block be pushed back to enable voters to drive to the location, Gilmore said.

Staff writers Jean Mikle, Mike Davis and Joe Strupp contributed to this story.

Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.