Both Salem County Commissioner races are too close to call Tuesday night. Republicans hold narrow leads in unofficial results from the Salem County Clerk’s Office as of 10:57 p.m., with all 43 districts reporting. The clerk’s site had not yet included any vote-by-mail tallies, and early voting was listed as partially reported, so the totals could change.
Ed Ramsay (R) leads Charles Hassler (D) 8,662 to 8,034 (51.8% to 48.0%) for the three-year term, a margin of 628 votes. Paul M. Collier (R) leads John “Buddy” Ayars (D) 9,114 to 7,853 (53.6% to 46.2%) for the one-year unexpired term, a margin of 1,261 votes. Write-ins totaled 39 and 25 in the two races.
In the race for the 2nd Congressional District, Democrat Zack Mullock leads incumbent Republican Jeff Van Drew, 125,944 votes (51.05%) to 118,183 (47.90%), with 86% of the vote reporting, according to results displayed by Google. Independent Ramon Mora Jr. has 2,604 votes (1.06%). The Associated Press had not called the race. Van Drew conceded to Mullock Tuesday night, according to 6abc. Van Drew led in Salem County’s unofficial totals so far.
House bullet (replaces the old one):
- U.S. House, NJ-02, Salem County totals: Jeff Van Drew (R) 9,506 (55.6%), Zack Mullock (D) 7,279 (42.6%), Ramon Mora Jr. (I) 288 (1.7%), write-ins 12. District-wide, Mullock leads 51.05% to 47.90% with 86% reporting.
Federal races, Salem County totals (unofficial)
- U.S. Senate, Salem County totals: Justin Murphy (R) 9,455 (55.3%), Cory Booker (D) 7,184 (42.0%), Veronica Fernandez 317 (1.9%), Joanne Kuniansky 112 (0.7%), write-ins 25. Statewide, Booker leads with 1,764,187 votes (62.23%) to Murphy’s 997,639 (35.19%), according to results displayed by Google.
Turnout
17,147 ballots had been counted as of 10:57 p.m., or 34.0% of the 50,497 registered voters. That does not include vote-by-mail ballots.
Contested municipal races (unofficial)
- Carneys Point Township Committee (two seats): Almeda Johnson (D) 853 and Wayne Pelura (R) 809 are ahead. Adriene Logan (D) has 792, 17 votes behind Pelura, and Michelle Shaw (R) has 770.
- Woodstown Borough Council (two seats): Heather Bobbitt (R) 549 and James Hackett (R) 548 are ahead. Shane Godshall (D) has 542, six votes behind Hackett, and Alexander Dominy (D) has 501.
- Oldmans Township Committee (two seats): Dean Sparks (R) 459 and Brian Porch (R) 424 are ahead. Theresa DeSanto (D) has 295.
- Penns Grove Borough Council (two seats): Deborah Scott (D) 409 and Jonathan Carter (D) 392 are ahead. Brandon Castillo (I) has 139 and Michael “Mike” Bercute (I) has 122.
- Salem City Council, East Ward: Timothy Gregory (D) 230 (68.9%) leads Aileen Hassler VanAtta (I) 99 (29.6%).
Contested school board races (unofficial)
- Carneys Point (one seat): Renee Rasin 848 (53.6%) leads Michael Tinsley 704 (44.5%).
- Pittsgrove/Elmer (three seats): Susan Cushane-Miranda 2,264, Timothy Hack 2,190 and Andrea Foster 2,144 are ahead. Angie Bradley has 1,259.
- Quinton (three seats): Amanda Ehle 492, Shannon Reese 481 and Joseph Longo III 464 are ahead. Joanne Nacucchio has 444, 20 votes behind Longo.
Most local races had no opponent
Most local races on Tuesday’s ballot had only one candidate. Ten of the county’s 15 municipalities had no contested governing body race. Thirteen of 18 municipal races were uncontested, with 17 candidates running unopposed. Eleven of those races had only Republican candidates and two had only Democratic candidates. Contested races were in Carneys Point, Oldmans, Penns Grove, Salem City’s East Ward and Woodstown.
School boards were the same. Only 3 of 14 races had more candidates than seats, in Carneys Point, Pittsgrove/Elmer and Quinton. Eight seats had no candidate on the ballot at all, in Alloway (2), Lower Alloways Creek, Mannington (2), Penns Grove, Salem City and Woodstown. Those seats will go to whoever gets the most write-in votes. The results do not name those write-in leaders.
Unopposed candidates and their votes so far:
- Township and borough governing bodies:
- Alloway: Chuck Angelus 945.
- Elmer: Cynthia Nolan 367 and Marc Adams 301.
- Elsinboro: Joseph McAllister 340.
- Lower Alloways Creek: Richard Venable 434 (three-year term) and Douglas Hassler 462 (two-year unexpired term).
- Mannington: Fred Catalano 336.
- Pennsville: John Dyer 2,714 and Melissa Fitchett 2,659.
- Pilesgrove: David Bonowski 1,095.
- Pittsgrove: Fiore Copare 2,158 and William Schmidt Jr. 2,102.
- Quinton: Ralph Warfle 646.
- Salem City West Ward: Douglas Wright 334 (four-year term) and Kiersten Westley Henson 329 (one-year unexpired term).
- Upper Pittsgrove: David Zeck Sr. 918 and John Noone 881.
- School boards:
- Alloway: Richard Morris Jr. 946.
- Elsinboro: Jenna Hogate 333 and Kay Weber 310.
- Lower Alloways Creek: Loretta LaRoy 412.
- Oldmans: Maria Calabrese 594, Dennis McCarron 584 and Marcia Malinowski 583.
- Pennsville: Keith Chambers 2,958, Kellie Snyder-Roncace 2,919 and Ruby Lynn Hassler 2,895.
- Pilesgrove: Jeanna DuBois 1,173.
- Salem City: Kendra Fletcher 591 and Daffonie Moore 557.
- Upper Pittsgrove: James Parks 924, Russell E. Wright III 914 and Brian Wasilewski 884.
- Woodstown: Eileen Miller 943.
How the count works
The News of Salem County visited the county complex on Fifth Street in Salem City at about 7:40 p.m. Tuesday, where County Clerk Dale A. Cross showed the tabulation process. Results come in to the central complex, where tabulators run in a back area and staff review the numbers on a network of computers before they are published live on the clerk’s website. The clerk’s office is fire-protected and kept secure because it also serves as the county’s records archive. Live results are available at https://www.livevoterturnout.com/ENR/salemnjenr/13/en/Index_13.html.
