COURT HOUSE – At long last, stalled by Hurricane Sandy, Cape May County General Election votes became official and were posted shortly before 3 p.m. Nov. 21 by County Clerk Rita Fulginiti. The delay was caused by executive orders from Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno that gave more time for displaced voters to vote and their votes to be counted.
Fulginiti told the Herald Nov. 21, “The Board of Elections completed the tally of the provisional and mail in ballots yesterday (Nov. 20) about midnight. We have just posted the official election results a few minutes ago. I am so pleased to have this completed before Thanksgiving.”
She was then to email the final, official news to stakeholders and other interested parties.
Among the victors:
Cape May Mayor Edward J. Mahaney Jr., who received 668 votes to Russell Chew’s 656. A 12-vote plurality returned the Nation’s Oldest Seashore Resort chief executive to office for another term.
Also in Cape May, Council at Large seat won by Terri Swain, with 522 votes. Contenders Daniel Kurkowski got 386, and Shaine Meier received 390.
Lower Township Mayor Michael Beck, with 4,813 votes, 471 more than Republican challenger Erik Simonsen, who received 4,342.
Both of Beck’s Independent running mates, James Neville, unexpired Ward 2 council seat, was victorious, 1,685 votes to Republican Walt W. Craig’s 1,354. Council at Large victor was Norris Clark Jr., with 4,410 votes compared to Republican Deputy Mayor Kevin Lare who received 4,273 votes.
Middle Township’s Republican Mayor Daniel Lockwood stayed the victor with 4,086 votes to Democrat William Sturm III, 3,972.
Upper Township Mayor Richard Palombo got 4,097 and Edward Barr, 3,651 giving them both seats on Upper Township Committee. Hobart Young Jr. received 2,673.
Two victors in Woodbine were Michael Benson, 406 and Louis Murray, 438. William Gervasi reeived 302.
Stone Harbor Mayor Suzanne Walters won another term in office, 293 to Randall Bauer’s 251. In that borough there were 60 write-in votes.
Also in Stone Harbor, unopposed Council members Judith Davies-Dunhour, 452 and Joan Kramar, 414 will return to the dais for new terms.
Dennis Township voters returned Albert DiCicco to office with 1,545 votes to challenger Nicholas Elisano III, who garnered 1,492.
On the county level, Freeholder Leonard Desiderio received 27,107 votes to Democrat Walter Deegan’s 14,349, giving the incumbent 65.36 percent of the vote to Deegan’s 34.6 percent.
Cape May County’s new Surrogate M. Susan Sheppard will take office in January, having received 26,303 votes while Democrat challenger Jeffrey Sutherland received 14,895. Sheppard will replace Surrogate W. Robert Hentges, who has served 40 years in that post.
Sheppard’s new post will mean a freeholder seat for some Republican. That person will be appointed by GOP committee members to fill her unexpired term.
On the federal level, U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo received 29,705 votes in this county while Democrat Cassandra Shober received 13,209.
U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez lost in Cape May County to GOP challenger Joe Kyrillos, 19,959 to 22,278, but was victorious, having won pluralities in the state’s Democratic strongholds.
President Barack Obama received 21,650 votes here, compared to Mitt Romney’s 25,778.
Of Cape May County’s 69,041 registered voters, 42,051 cast a ballot on Election Day at the polls. That was 60.91 percent. There were also 5,790 mail-in ballots, and 549 provisional ballots, for a grand total of 48,390 votes cast or 70.09 percent of eligible voters. That increase in number of mail-in voters may alter some future campaigns, since candidates will attempt to convince voters very early in the season, and not wait for the historic last-minute push to win votes.
Cape May – Governor Murphy says he doesn't know anything about the drones and doesn't know what they are doing but he does know that they are not dangerous. Does anyone feel better now?
