Levinson Blames Trump Rhetoric, Republican Disunity for Atlantic County Election Defeats: 'We Got Trounced'

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson says President Donald Trump's rhetoric, dissatisfaction among voters and a lack of Republican unity contributed to the party's sweeping election losses, acknowledging that even he might not have survived had his name been on Tuesday's ballot.

ATLANTIC COUNTY, N.J. — Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson offered a candid assessment of the Republican Party's devastating election losses during an appearance on Talking with Anne on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND, saying the political environment was simply too much for local Republican candidates to overcome.

Speaking with host Anne Baker following Tuesday's election, Levinson said Republican incumbents who had served Atlantic County for years were swept out of office by forces largely beyond their control.

"What is unusual here is that it went right down the ticket from top to bottom, which is in my opinion a shame," Levinson said. "You had people that did an extraordinary job and they were just rejected because of, really, a course of events that they had nothing to do with."

He acknowledged the magnitude of the defeat.

"The wave was just too much for us to sustain and we got beaten. I mean, we got trounced."

Democrats swept all five contested Atlantic County offices in the November 3 election, defeating the incumbent Republican sheriff, county clerk and three county commissioners.

Democrat Sean Riggin defeated Republican Sheriff Joseph "Tokyo Joe" O'Donoghue, while Democrat Lisa Bender unseated Republican County Clerk Joseph Giralo.

Democrats Jonathan Marcellus and Kyle Gornick defeated Republican Commissioners John Risley Jr. and June Byrnes in the at-large races. Democrat Richard Healey defeated Republican Commissioner Andrew Parker in District 3.

The results will reduce the Republican majority on the nine-member Atlantic County Board of County Commissioners from 8-1 to 5-4 when the newly elected members take office.

The election results remain unofficial pending certification.

Levinson Points to Trump's Rhetoric

Levinson, a longtime Republican who has served as county executive since 2000, said he believes voters' dissatisfaction with Trump played a significant role in the outcome.

"I guess you could attribute it to the top of the presidency," Levinson said. "And the attitude that Donald Trump had, the wonderful things that he did were stepped on and overshadowed by his rhetoric and it was just an unfortunate circumstance."

Levinson said he had repeatedly warned voters against taking their frustrations with national political figures out on local candidates.

"When I went on the radio and I would speak about it or give speeches, I would say to everybody, listen, you may be upset with Trump or Purdy or Palestina or even Denny Levinson, but don't take it out on these good, hardworking people that dedicate themselves to their job."

He also questioned Trump's decision to encourage voters to treat the election as a referendum on his presidency.

"I think our president, Donald Trump, calculated that he could make a difference in this election if he spent the last month traveling from state to state and telling people that, look, make believe I'm on the ticket. Make believe I'm on the ticket."

Levinson said that strategy backfired.

"Well, the unfortunate part about it is that people followed his directions. They did vote as if he was on the ticket. And we got slammed."

Later in the interview, Levinson returned to the same point.

"The president didn't help us," he said. "I believe he did the best that he could do. He thought he was on the right track. He thought he was far more popular than he was."

'I Would Not Have Survived This Year'

Perhaps Levinson's most striking admission came when he discussed his own political standing.

Despite his long record of electoral success in Atlantic County, Levinson said he believes the Democratic surge would have defeated him as well.

"I'm the highest vote-getter in the history of Atlantic County," Levinson said. "I win by amazing numbers. I would not have survived this year had I been on the ticket."

Levinson was not up for reelection this year.

His comments underscored his belief that the results reflected widespread voter sentiment rather than individual assessments of county officeholders.

He also spoke about the personal impact of losing an election, recalling an earlier race in which incorrect election-night information briefly led him to believe he had been defeated.

"Losing hurts a lot more than winning feels good," Levinson said.

"It is a devastating feeling because you know you did your all and your name, your reputation is on the line and you lost. It hurts and it hurts badly."

Levinson said he understood the disappointment being experienced by the defeated Republican candidates.

Working With the New Democratic Commissioners

Despite his disappointment, Levinson said he expects to work with the incoming Democratic commissioners.

He praised the three Republican commissioners who lost their reelection bids.

"Personally, I will miss Andrew Parker and June Byrnes and John Risley," Levinson said. "They did a great job. They worked hard, but they could not swim against the tide."

Levinson explained that Atlantic County's executive form of government gives him responsibility for proposing county initiatives, while the commissioners exercise legislative and budgetary oversight.

"We propose and they dispose," he said.

"As long as what's put before them is reasonable and in the best interest of the people we represent, I don't see any problem whatsoever with the new commission."

His remarks suggest that although Democrats made significant gains, Levinson does not necessarily anticipate an immediate breakdown in county government.

Republicans will retain a narrow majority on the commissioner board, while Levinson remains county executive.

Questions About Republican Leadership and Unity

Levinson also raised questions about the Republican Party's organization in Atlantic County, particularly when compared with neighboring Cape May County, where Republican commissioner candidates won.

He credited Cape May County Republican Chairman Michael Donohue for the party's performance there.

"So our neighboring county did extraordinarily well in this last election," Levinson said. "And we here in Atlantic County did not."

He suggested the difference deserved closer examination.

"It is a question of the people at the top," Levinson said.

"Michael Donohue, how he did it and how he could make sure that the people that were on his ticket survived, I can't tell you. But I do know that he worked overtime and he should be commended for what he did in Cape May County."

When Baker suggested Atlantic County Republicans should learn from Cape May County's approach, Levinson responded:

"We ought to find out what we didn't do, Anne, rather than what he did."

Later, Levinson suggested greater unity might have changed the local outcome.

"It wasn't just a blue wave. It was a blue tsunami," he said.

"Could we have prevented it? I do believe if we were unified here we could prevent it."

He did not identify specific individuals responsible for the lack of unity or outline particular organizational changes he believes the party should make.

Independent Voter Says Republicans Failed to Reach Residents

The interview also featured a caller identified as Patty from Atlantic City's Lower Chelsea neighborhood, who described herself as a political independent.

She said she saw little evidence of Republican door-to-door campaigning in her neighborhood before the election.

"I didn't see anybody walking around, knocking on doors, as if they had it in the bag here," she said.

The caller also criticized both major political parties and argued that independent voters had played an important role in the Democratic victories.

"Us independents are the ones who swung this election," she said.

Her assessment was a personal observation, not a verified analysis of countywide voting patterns.

Baker thanked the caller, saying her comments might help explain what happened.

Levinson responded by discussing financial self-interest in national politics, arguing that both parties deserve scrutiny.

"We've got to take a hose and clean out the stables on both sides," he said.

Levinson Says Republicans Can Recover

Although Levinson was pessimistic about the immediate election results, he rejected the idea that the Republican Party's losses would be permanent.

He pointed to the party's recovery after the Watergate scandal and the eventual election of Ronald Reagan as president.

"So it is a devastating loss right now," Levinson said. "But in the long run, they have to produce now, Anne."

He argued that Democrats who won office would face their own challenges once they assumed responsibility for governing.

"You know, it's one thing to win an election. It's another to govern."

Levinson also criticized progressive policy proposals involving criminal justice, immigration and energy, questioning whether Democrats would be able to reconcile differences within their party. Those comments reflected his political assessment rather than the stated positions of the newly elected Atlantic County officials.

He predicted that the Republican Party would eventually recover from its losses.

"So it wasn't the end of the world," Levinson said. "And the doom and gloom is out there, and it should be. But we'll get it together."

He also suggested Republicans needed to focus more closely on the economic concerns facing voters.

"The next time we run for president, I imagine we won't be playing around with while people are paying so much for groceries and so much for gasoline and so much for utility costs and everything else, we won't be worrying about a reflecting pool."

"And you know, it's a question of priorities, my friend."

For Levinson, the election was a painful political setback, but not necessarily a lasting realignment.

"This is just a bump in the road," he said.

The more immediate challenge will be determining how Atlantic County Republicans respond to the losses while working with a county government that will include significantly more Democratic representation.

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson made his comments during an interview with Anne Baker on Talking with Anne, airing weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.