Voters oust Atlantic County sheriff, clerk and three commissioners, while Cape May County backs Republican candidates despite electing its mayor to Congress.
SOUTH JERSEY — Tuesday's election delivered major political changes across Atlantic and Cape May counties, with Democrats sweeping every contested Atlantic County office, Republicans retaining their advantage in Cape May County and Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock defeating four-term Republican Congressman Jeff Van Drew.
The November 3 results will bring new leadership to the Atlantic County sheriff's and clerk's offices, dramatically narrow the Republican majority on the Atlantic County Board of County Commissioners and change South Jersey's representation in Congress.
The two counties, however, voted differently in several major contests.
Atlantic County supported Democratic candidates from the top of the ballot through the county races, while Cape May County favored Republicans in its congressional, U.S. Senate and county commissioner contests.
All results are unofficial pending the counting of remaining eligible ballots and certification.
Mullock Defeats Van Drew in Congressional Upset
One of the night's biggest developments came in New Jersey's 2nd Congressional District, where Democratic challenger Zack Mullock defeated incumbent Republican Jeff Van Drew.
Van Drew conceded Tuesday night, acknowledging that Mullock would become the district's next representative in Congress.
"I've already conceded about 10 minutes ago, I called Zack Mullock and I conceded his victory," Van Drew told supporters. "He is and will be our new congressman for the next two years."
Van Drew also wished Mullock success, saying his success would benefit the district.
Mullock, the mayor of Cape May, will represent a congressional district that includes Atlantic, Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties, along with portions of Gloucester and Ocean counties.
The outcome was especially notable because Van Drew carried Cape May County, where Mullock currently serves as mayor.
Unofficial county results showed Van Drew receiving 21,805 votes in Cape May County compared with Mullock's 17,856.
Atlantic County produced the opposite result, with Mullock receiving 51,267 votes to Van Drew's 39,902.
Mullock's districtwide victory came despite Van Drew's strong showing in Cape May County and other Republican-leaning areas.
Van Drew was first elected to Congress as a Democrat in 2018 before switching to the Republican Party in 2019.
His defeat ends his four-term tenure in the House of Representatives and raises questions about the transition in constituent services and the future leadership of Cape May's municipal government.
Atlantic County: Democrats Sweep County Offices
Atlantic County voters delivered a series of victories for Democrats, defeating Republican incumbents in the sheriff's office, county clerk's office and all three contested commissioner seats.
The results represent a substantial change in county government.
Republicans entered the election holding eight of the nine seats on the Atlantic County Board of County Commissioners.
Following Tuesday's results, that majority will shrink to 5-4 when the newly elected commissioners take office.
Sean Riggin Defeats Sheriff Joe O'Donoghue
Democrat Sean Riggin defeated Republican incumbent Sheriff Joseph "Tokyo Joe" O'Donoghue.
With all 145 Atlantic County election districts reporting, unofficial totals showed:
Sean Riggin (D): 48,980 votes
Joe O'Donoghue (R): 42,476 votes
Riggin won by 6,504 votes.
Riggin serves as Atlantic City's public safety director and previously led the Pleasantville Police Department.
O'Donoghue was elected sheriff in 2023 after defeating Democratic incumbent Eric Scheffler.
The result returns the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office to Democratic leadership after one Republican term.
The sheriff oversees an agency responsible for court security, civil process, prisoner transportation and other law enforcement functions.
Lisa Bender Defeats County Clerk Joe Giralo
Democrat Lisa Bender defeated Republican incumbent Atlantic County Clerk Joseph Giralo.
Unofficial totals showed:
Lisa Bender (D): 49,443 votes
Joseph Giralo (R): 41,830 votes
Bender won by 7,613 votes.
Giralo was elected county clerk in 2021, when Republicans captured an office previously held by Democrats.
The county clerk's responsibilities include maintaining public records, recording property documents and administering certain election-related functions.
Bender's victory returns the office to Democratic control.
Three Republican Commissioners Defeated
Democrats also won all three contested seats on the Atlantic County Board of County Commissioners.
In the race for two at-large seats, Democrats Jonathan Marcellus and Kyle Gornick defeated Republican incumbents John Risley Jr. and June Byrnes.
Unofficial totals were:
Jonathan Marcellus (D): 49,727 votes
Kyle Gornick (D): 49,542 votes
John Risley Jr. (R): 41,033 votes
June Byrnes (R): 40,368 votes
Risley's defeat is particularly notable because of his long tenure in county government.
He had served for more than two decades and previously survived several close reelection campaigns.
Byrnes also lost her bid to remain on the board.
In Commissioner District 3, Democrat Richard Healey defeated Republican incumbent Andrew Parker.
Unofficial totals showed:
Richard Healey (D): 10,651 votes
Andrew Parker (R): 8,628 votes
Healey won by 2,023 votes.
The three Democratic victories will give the party four seats on the nine-member board, leaving Republicans with a one-seat majority.
That narrower margin could change the political dynamics surrounding county budgets, spending priorities and other major policy decisions.
Municipal Elections Bring Additional Changes in Atlantic County
The Democratic gains extended beyond county government.
Several municipal contests also produced changes in local representation, including shifts in governing majorities in Egg Harbor Township and Hamilton Township.
Egg Harbor Township
Democrats Juanita Hyman and Tamika Gilbert-Floyd defeated Republican incumbents Laura Pfrommer and Paul Hodson for full terms on the Township Committee.
Democrat Anthony Calandrillo also defeated Republican Patrick Ireland in the race for a one-year unexpired term.
The results give Democrats control of the Egg Harbor Township Committee.
Hamilton Township
Democrat Maria Newman defeated Republican incumbent Eric Aiken for a Township Committee seat.
The result gives Democrats a 3-2 majority on the governing body.
Other Atlantic County Municipal Results
In Absecon, Republican Alex Clark won reelection to the Ward 1 council seat, while Democrat Gloria Seel defeated Republican incumbent Christine Parker in Ward 2.
In Buena Vista Township, Republican William Ruggieri defeated Democrat Ronald Stone for a Township Committee seat.
Egg Harbor City voters elected Democrats Karl Timbers, Steven Ortiz and Nate Ross to Common Council seats.
In Mullica Township, Democrat Beth Schroeder Buonsante defeated Republican Thomas C. Braun.
In Northfield, Democrat Joan Brennan defeated Republican incumbent David Notaro in the Ward 1 council race.
These results add to the changes taking place across Atlantic County, where Democrats will enter 2027 with greater representation in county and municipal government.
Cape May County: Republicans Retain Commissioner Seats
While Democrats celebrated victories in Atlantic County, Cape May County voters favored Republican candidates in the major county contests.
Republicans Curtis Bashaw and Patrick Rosenello won the two seats on the Cape May County Board of County Commissioners.
With 127 of 129 election districts reporting Wednesday morning, unofficial totals showed:
Curtis Bashaw (R): 21,725 votes
Patrick Rosenello (R): 21,539 votes
Eric Morey (D): 16,728 votes
David Temple (D): 15,979 votes
Bashaw and Rosenello finished ahead of their Democratic opponents, maintaining Republican control of the county governing board.
The results reflect Cape May County's continued support for Republican candidates in countywide elections.
Sheriff Robert Nolan Runs Unopposed
Republican Cape May County Sheriff Robert Nolan faced no opposition in his reelection bid.
Unofficial results showed Nolan receiving 25,106 votes.
His uncontested race contrasted with the competitive sheriff's contest in Atlantic County, where the Republican incumbent was defeated.
Cape May County Backs Van Drew Despite Mullock's Victory
Perhaps the most unusual political contrast of the election occurred in Cape May County's congressional vote.
Mullock, the Democratic congressional winner, serves as mayor of Cape May.
Yet voters across Cape May County gave Van Drew a substantial advantage.
Van Drew received 21,805 votes to Mullock's 17,856, according to the unofficial county count.
That represented a margin of 3,949 votes for Van Drew within Cape May County.
Mullock overcame that deficit through stronger performances elsewhere in the congressional district, including Atlantic and Cumberland counties.
The result underscores the different voting patterns across South Jersey.
It also creates a significant local government question: how Cape May will handle its mayoral leadership once Mullock assumes his congressional responsibilities.
Booker Wins Reelection, but Cape May County Favors Republican Challenger
Democratic U.S. Sen. Cory Booker won reelection statewide, defeating Republican Justin Murphy.
However, the two counties again voted differently.
In Atlantic County, Booker received 51,378 votes compared with Murphy's 38,536.
In Cape May County, Murphy received 20,803 votes compared with Booker's 17,497.
Booker therefore carried Atlantic County by 12,842 votes, while Murphy carried Cape May County by 3,306.
The results closely mirrored the broader political differences between the two counties.
Atlantic County supported the Democratic candidates for Senate and Congress, while Cape May County favored their Republican opponents.
What the Results Mean for South Jersey
Tuesday's election will bring changes at several levels of government.
At the federal level, Mullock's victory means South Jersey's 2nd Congressional District will have a new representative for the first time since Van Drew took office in 2019.
At the Atlantic County level, voters elected a new sheriff, a new county clerk and three new commissioners.
The Republican majority on the commissioner board will be reduced to its narrowest possible margin short of losing control.
Democrats also gained governing majorities in Egg Harbor Township and Hamilton Township.
In Cape May County, Republicans retained their commissioner seats and continued to perform strongly in countywide voting.
Those contrasting results demonstrate that Atlantic and Cape May counties, despite sharing a congressional district and many regional concerns, can produce substantially different political outcomes.
For residents, the immediate questions now turn to how the newly elected officials will approach county services, public safety, local spending, development and constituent representation.
Results Remain Unofficial
The figures reported Wednesday morning are not final.
Atlantic County had reported results from all 145 election districts, while Cape May County had reported 127 of 129 districts.
Additional eligible mail-in and provisional ballots may still be counted.
Under New Jersey election procedures, qualifying mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day may be received through November 9.
County election officials must complete their canvasses and certify the results.
Although the remaining ballots may change vote totals, the reported results establish a major shift in Atlantic County government, continued Republican strength in Cape May County and a change in the region's congressional representation.
South Jersey NewsBeat will continue monitoring the official results and the transitions involving newly elected county and municipal officials.
About the Author
Peter Killeen
A 25-year radio news veteran, Peter covers South Jersey for NewsTalk 1400 & 92.3 WOND radio. Known for his concise and impactful delivery, he ensures listeners and readers stay informed without unnecessary filler.
