TOMS RIVER – Republicans in Ocean County turned out in overwhelming numbers for Jack Ciattarelli, giving the GOP gubernatorial candidate his largest margin of victory anywhere in New Jersey. Yet despite the county’s strong support, Democrat Mikie Sherrill claimed a double-digit win statewide.
According to unofficial results as of November 7, Sherrill secured 56.4 percent of the statewide vote, compared to Ciattarelli’s 43 percent. In Ocean County, however, Ciattarelli earned nearly 67 percent of ballots cast, trouncing Sherrill’s 32.5 percent.
The decisive local victory came as no surprise to Ocean County GOP Chairman George Gilmore, who predicted the outcome before polls closed.
“Ocean County has done everything we’ve been asked to do,” Gilmore said in a personal interview at the GOP Ocean County watch party. “I think the results of tonight’s election in Ocean County will prove that we did support him, and there are some people that just didn’t like the fact that I supported Bill Spadea in the primary and fought for him like I fight for every candidate that I endorse and support.”
Out of 476,000 overall registered voters in Ocean County, roughly 275,000 cast ballots, a 57.8 percent turnout rate, among the highest in New Jersey. In the governor’s race, Ciattarelli’s commanding performance reaffirmed Ocean County’s role as the Republican backbone of the state, though not without signs of internal strain.
Divided Party, Unified Outcome
While Ocean County’s results reflected unity at the ballot box, the months leading up to the general election told a different story. During the primary, the Ocean County Republican Organization officially endorsed conservative radio host Bill Spadea, a move that deepened existing rifts within local GOP ranks.
Gilmore, a veteran party leader and political powerbroker, openly campaigned for Spadea. Even after Ciattarelli clinched the nomination, tensions lingered. Some accused Gilmore’s faction of failing to rally behind the nominee, while others said Spadea loyalists were slow to join the effort.
A longtime GOP insider who asked not to be identified said the organization “remains divided” despite the strong showing at the polls. The source declined to give Gilmore credit for the Republican sweep down the ballot and accused him of never fully backing Ciattarelli even after the primary.
Gilmore has said his focus has been on electing Republicans within Ocean County, a goal largely accomplished in this cycle. Even so, the same party insider noted that despite significant GOP resources directed toward Brick Township, Democratic Mayor Lisa Crate retained her seat. Still, Republicans captured three council positions in Brick, narrowing Democrat control and demonstrating the strength of the party’s base even in competitive municipalities.
GOP Statewide
The county’s Republican strength is hard to miss in the numbers. Using county-reported totals compiled as of Nov. 6, Ocean gave Ciattarelli 183,219 votes, more than any other county in New Jersey. Monmouth placed second with 151,175; Bergen was third with 150,183. Put differently, Ocean alone supplied about 13.2 percent of all Ciattarelli votes cast statewide (183,219 out of roughly 1,386,480). Monmouth contributed about 10.9 percent, and Bergen was 10.8 percent.
Yet those advantages were offset elsewhere. Ciattarelli lost Bergen by 34,937 despite his large raw vote there. He also faced steep deficits in Essex (120,464), Hudson (83,025), Middlesex (64,532), Camden (65,070), and Union (60,758). The lesson is familiar. Ocean’s commanding performance delivered critical raw votes and margins for the GOP, but blue strongholds in North and Central Jersey still shape the statewide outcome.
Lakewood’s Impact
Lakewood’s turnout and voting pattern were central to Ciattarelli’s Ocean County blowout. Tallying the votes from the county’s district breakdowns shows Ciattarelli received about 35,482 votes in Lakewood, roughly 90 percent of all ballots cast there for governor. That single municipality produced about one in five of Ciattarelli’s Ocean County votes (approximately 19.4 percent) and roughly 2.6 percent of his statewide total.
The Orthodox community’s unified voting bloc has become one of the most influential forces in Ocean County politics. This election cycle marked a historic milestone, with the first member of the Orthodox community, Sam Ellenbogen, elected to a county-level office. A familiar presence at county commissioner meetings and civic events, Ellenbogen ran alongside longtime Little Egg Harbor politician Ray Gormley. Together, the pair secured seats on the Ocean County Board of Commissioners, further underscoring the growing political influence of the Orthodox community within the county’s Republican base.
Ocean County Sheriff Michael Mastronardy also drew strong backing from the Lakewood community and voters countywide in his successful bid for reelection. Jack Kelly, meanwhile, earned broad support as he transitions from decades as a county freeholder/commissioner to become the county’s next clerk.
Other Towns
The story was not just Lakewood. Results across the county suggest Democrats made modest inroads in several towns even as they fell short of flipping any. Sam Pinkava, the Democratic challenger to Jack Kelly for County Clerk, a veteran math educator and statistician, reviewed the data and offered context.
According to Pinkava, Democrat Mikie Sherrill earned roughly the same percentage of votes in Ocean County as Kamala Harris did in 2024 and Phil Murphy did in 2021.
“However, Sherrill made significant gains in most townships across the county,” Pinkava explained. “She outperformed Harris in two-thirds of the municipalities and did better than Murphy in all but Lakewood and Jackson.”
Pinkava noted that in Toms River, Sherrill captured about 35 percent of the vote, comparable to Harris’s showing but substantially higher than Murphy’s 30 percent.
Despite these improvements, Pinkava said, any areas where Democrats narrowed the gap were eclipsed by Lakewood’s overwhelming support for Ciattarelli. Incremental gains did not threaten GOP control locally but do suggest changing dynamics in some communities.
Looking Ahead
For Gilmore and Ocean County Republicans, the 2025 results offer validation. Turnout was high. Margins were massive. The ticket won up and down the ballot. And history was made with the first Orthodox commissioner.
But the politics beyond the celebration can’t be ignored. Gilmore’s term as county chairman is next up for consideration, and with it come renewed questions about unity and the direction of the county’s most powerful political organization.
Some within the party view this year’s election results as proof that Gilmore’s influence remains unmatched. Others quietly suggest that the chairman’s leadership style, and the divisions that surfaced well before the primary, could shape what comes next for the Ocean County GOP.
Even those who question Gilmore’s leadership admit that Ocean County’s Republican organization continues to outperform every other in the state. Yet as talk of future challenges quietly circulates, the party’s objective remains the same. The organization plans to hold its place as New Jersey’s Republican stronghold, a county that continues to deliver the kind of margins other organizations can only hope to match.
