Fourth Straight Year, Many Voters Shun Primary Election

COURT HOUSE – “The few. The proud. Marines.” That motto could also apply to Cape May County voters.
In the June 2 primary election, 4,463 voters, or 6.71 percent of 66,520 registered, cast a ballot for their party’s candidates. That downward spiral represents the fourth consecutive year of dwindling votes cast in the June election for party candidates.
In 2014, 5,861 ballots were cast, 8.49 percent of 69,038 eligible.
In 2013, 8,107 ballots were cast, while in 2012 8,872 ballots were voted.
Democrats
Democrats fielded no candidates for county clerk, freeholder, or for municipal seats in Stone Harbor, Upper Township, Woodbine and North Wildwood.
Topping the Democrats’ ballot was Assemblyman Robert Andrzejczak, seeking reelection, and his running mate newcomer R. Bruce Land. They received 910 and 761 votes, respectively.
There were 17 write-in votes for Democrat county clerk, 27 for freeholder.
County Clerk Rita Fulginiti stated, in response to a Herald inquiry, a minimum 100 write-in ballots are required for a candidate in any county office. Write-in candidates must get “at least the minimum number of votes as required signatures on a nominating petition for the Primary Election,” she wrote.
“In fact the top Democratic write-in vote getter for county clerk was me with five write-in votes and Georgia Dougherty for freeholder with four write-in votes,” Fulginiti stated.
“We are working with the Woodbine municipal clerk and two potential Democratic candidates who were written-in for Woodbine Council Person, Alan Toney and Heather Watkins,” Fulginiti stated. “None of the other races had enough write-in votes for a candidate to qualify,” she added.
According to state statute, “A write-in candidate who qualifies with enough votes must also qualify as a candidate for the office to which he/she has been nominated and must consent to stand as a candidate at the ensuing general election by taking an oath of allegiance and filing that oath with the County Clerk within seven days of the Primary Election (NJSA 19:23-16).”
Dennis Township Committee, where one seat will be open, incumbent Albert DiCicco received 62 votes.
Middle Township Committee, where one seat will be open, Jeffrey DeVico received 214 votes.
Woodbine Borough Council, where two seats will be open, write-in Allan Toney has agreed to run.
Republicans
For Assembly incumbent Samuel Fiocchi and newcomer James Sauro received 2,922 and 2,654 votes, respectively.
County Clerk Rita Fulginiti received 3,046 votes.
Freeholder Leonard Desiderio received 2,950 votes.
Seeking a seat on Dennis Township Committee, Julie Fry DeRose received 83 votes.
In Middle Township Committee, Committeeman Daniel Lockwood received 266 votes.
For North Wildwood City Council:
At Large: Edwin Koehler, 182, Ward 1: James Kane, 110, Ward 2: Joseph Rullo, 78.
Stone Harbor Borough Council incumbents Joan Kramar and Judith Davies-Dunhour receive 45 and 50 votes, respectively.
Upper Township Committee was the county’s only contested primary race.
Incumbents Richard Palombo and Edward Barr, with 1,022 and 981 votes respectively, outpolled Antonio Inserra and John DeSalvo, who garnered 431 and 435 votes, respectively.
For Woodbine Borough Council incumbent Michael Benson received 40 and newcomer Joseph Johnson got 38.
Independents
Louis Murray, a direct nomination (Independent) candidate filed a petition and will be placed on the Nov. 3 general election ballot for Woodbine Borough Council.