TOMS RIVER – A primary election on June 8 will determine who will be on the ballot in November.
Locally, this is a ward election. The town is run by a mayor and a seven-member council. The town is broken up into four wards. Each ward has a council member. The other three (at-large) council members and the mayor can be from any area of town.
A primary is done every year to determine who will represent their party in the general election in November.
Two slates of Republicans are challenging each other. One is the Regular Republican Organization of Ocean County. The other is Make New Jersey Great Again.
The Democrats are all on the Official Regular Democrat Organization party line. They are running unopposed.
The make up of the governing body is currently five Republicans and two Democrats with a Republican mayor. If the Republicans sweep the November election, it means that the entire governing body will be Republican. If Democrats sweep, then they win a majority on the council.
Council seats are four years.
In Ward 1, Councilwoman Maria Maruca (Regular Republican Organization of Ocean County) is being challenged by Justin Lamb (Make New Jersey Great Again) for the Republican nod.
Board of Education member Michele Williams will represent the Democrats. In 2019, she ran for an at-large council spot. She garnered 9,391 votes, but did not win the spot.
In 2017, Maruca also competed with Lamb for the right to represent the GOP. She won 920-550 votes.
She was an incumbent in November of 2017 and defended her seat with 3,221 votes against Anthony Colucci, who received 2,928 votes.
In Ward 2, Councilman Daniel Rodrick (Make New Jersey Great Again) is being challenged by Jason Crispin (Regular Republican Organization of Ocean County).
Jeff J. Horn will represent the Democrats.
In 2017, Rodrick won his seat with 3,891 votes, besting incumbent Kevin Geoghegan’s 3,219 votes. (Geoghegan later ran for a council-at-large spot and won, so they are both on the council currently.) Rodrick was a Democrat when he ran in 2017, but switched back to Republican, a designation he had been in the past.
In Ward 3, James J. Quinlisk (Regular Republican Organization of Ocean County) is running against Grace Piscopo (Make New Jersey Great Again).
Karin Sage will represent the Democrats. In 2019, she ran for an at-large council spot. She garnered 9,240 votes, but did not win the spot.
Democrat Councilwoman Laurie Huryk, the Ward 3 council representative, chose not to run for re-election.
In 2017, Huryk won the spot with 2,630 votes over 2,551 from Republican Louis Gallipoli.
In Ward 4, David J. Ciccozzi (Regular Republican Organization of Ocean County) is running against John J. Loiacono (Make New Jersey Great Again).
Councilman Terrance Turnbach will represent the Democrats.
In 2017, Turnbach won the seat with 2,822 votes, besting incumbent Republican Alfonso Manforti, who received 2,685 votes.
