UPDATE: Unofficial election results were updated with provisional ballot totals Nov. 10, according to Cape May County Clerk Rita Fulginiti, bringing the new total of ballots cast to 58,115 out of 75,436, a turnout of 77.04%.
There is now a tie for the third seat in the race for Cape May Point commissioner. Anita VanHeeswyk and Mary A. Kelly each received 88 votes.
“The deadline for voters who were sent ‘cure’ letters to resolve signature and ID issues is Nov. 18. Any additional totals will be posted following that deadline. We expect the official tally to be posted Nov. 20,” stated Fulginiti, in an email.
COURT HOUSE – Who won? That’s the question many voters found themselves asking, as ballots continued to be counted days after the Nov. 3 election.
Results in Cape May County remained unofficial, as of 9 a.m. Nov. 10. They “do not include mail-in ballots postmarked by Nov. 3, which may be received through Nov. 10, and provisional ballots,” according to a note posted at the top of the results page on the Cape May County Clerk’s election website (https://bit.ly/3p3DruV).
The website reports 55,820 ballots were cast out of 75,436 registered voters, a turnout of 74%. That number beat the 2016 presidential election, when 49,939 ballots were cast out of 70,801 registered voters, a turnout of nearly 71%.
President
Republican incumbent Donald J. Trump won the county with 31,498 votes. Challengers were Democrat Joseph R. Biden, 22,713; Libertarian Party Jo Jorgensen, 289; Green Party Howie Hawkins, 131; United Party America Bill Hammons, 53; Alliance Party Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, 50; Constitution Party Don Blankenship, 24; and Socialism and Liberation Gloria Estela La Riva, 13.
Biden was declared the winner of the presidency.
U.S. Senate
In Cape May County, Republican Rikin (Rik) Mehta received 29,868 votes to Democrat incumbent Cory Booker’s 21,773; Green Party Madelyn R. Hoffman’s 377; Of, By, For! Veronica Fernandez’s 348; and LaRouche Was Right Daniel Burke’s 112.
Booker was declared the winner in the U.S. Senate race.
U.S. House of Representatives
Republican incumbent Jeff Van Drew, receiving 32,934 votes in Cape May County, outpolled challengers Democrat Amy Kennedy, 20,784; Libertarian Party Jesse Ehrnstrom, 308; and Justice Mercy Humility Jenna Harvey, 202.
Van Drew was declared the winner in the 2nd Congressional District race.
County Races
Sheriff
Republican Robert A. Nolan will remain sheriff. In an uncontested race, he received 38,633 votes.
County Clerk
Also, in an uncontested race, Republican Rita Marie Fulginiti received 40,169 votes and will continue in her position as Cape May County clerk.
Freeholder
Republican incumbents Will Morey and Jeffrey Pierson retained their seats on the Board of Chosen Freeholders, soon to be county commissioners, beginning Jan. 1, 2021. They received 30,724 and 29,837 votes, respectively.
Democrat challengers Brendan Sciarra and Elizabeth F. Casey received 19,975 and 19,855 votes, respectively, while independent candidate Ryan Troiano received 3,283 votes.
Municipal Races
Cape May
Zachary Mullock will replace Clarence F. Lear III as mayor. He received 896 votes to Lear’s 564.
Christopher Bezaire defeated incumbent Patricia Gray Hendricks and Mark DiSanto for the seat on Cape May City Council. Bezaire received 663 votes; Hendricks, 526; and DiSanto, 140.
Cape May Point
With three seats open, and five candidates, incumbents Robert J. Moffatt and Anita VanHeeswyk won reelection, with 127 and 88 votes, respectively. Catherine M. Busch won the third seat, receiving 95 votes.
The other contenders were Mary A. Kelly, 87; and Marcus D. Wrotny, 16.
Dennis Township Committee
Republican incumbents Thomas J. VanArtsdalen, with 2,551 votes, and Scott J. Turner, with 2,543 votes, won reelection to the governing body. Democrats Jeffrey Trout and Renee Pettit received 1,239 and 1,236 votes, respectively.
Lower Township
Republican incumbents will return to Lower Township Council.
In the race for mayor, Francis H. Sippel, with 8,188 votes, defeated Democrat Christopher South, with 3,880 votes.
David Perry, with 7,958 votes, outpolled Democrat Chris Marlow, with 3,980 votes.
In Ward 2, Kevin S. Coombs, in an uncontested race, received 2,921 votes.
Middle Township Committee
Republican incumbent Timothy Donohue won reelection to the governing body, with 6,429 votes. Democrat Bob Jackson received 3,931 votes.
North Wildwood
Republican incumbents will return to North Wildwood City Council. They include: 1st Ward, David J. Del Conte, 889; and 2nd Ward, Kellyann Tolomeo, 713. There were no Democrat challengers.
Stone Harbor
In an uncontested race for mayor, Republican Judith M. Davies-Dunhour retained her seat, with 388 votes.
Republican incumbent Reese Moore won reelection to Stone Harbor Borough Council, with 363 votes. Joining him is newcomer Robin Lynn Casper, also a Republican, with 375 votes. There were no Democrat challengers.
Upper Township Committee
Republican incumbent Curtis T. Corson Jr. outpolled Democrat John Amenhauser, with 4,706 votes to Amenhauser’s 3,229.
West Wildwood
Matthew J. Ksiazek, with 191 votes, John J. Banning, with 190 votes, and Joseph D. Segrest, with 190 votes, defeated incumbents Amy Korobellis, 157; Scott Golden, 155; and Christopher J. Fox, 152.
Woodbine
In an uncontested race, Republican incumbents Hector Cruz and David Bennett will return to Woodbine Borough Council, with 439 and 434 votes, respectively.
State Question 1
A statewide question asked whether New Jersey should legalize the use of recreational marijuana. In Cape May County, 34,333 voted yes, while 18,086 voted no. Statewide, 2,189,609 voted yes, and 1,083,311 voted no, per The Associated Press (AP).
State Question 2
A second statewide question asked whether New Jersey should give a $250 property tax deduction to peacetime veterans. In Cape May County, 40,387 voted yes, and 11,480 voted no. In New Jersey, 2,452,158 voted yes, and 775,663 voted no, AP reports.
State Question 3
Yet another statewide question asked whether New Jersey should postpone the redrawing of legislative district boundaries if U.S. Census counts are delayed. Cape May County saw 25,803 yes votes and 24,048 no votes. Statewide, 1,798,058 voted yes, while 1,297,751 voted no, according to AP.
Cape May Question
Voters in Cape May were asked to decide between two bond ordinances, initiated by citizen petition, involving the financing and construction of public safety facilities. They chose the one that would finance the construction of a stand-alone firehouse, for $5 million, with 500 votes. The other ordinance, which would’ve financed the construction of a consolidated public safety building, for $15 million, received 457 votes, while 408 voted against both ordinances with a no vote.
West Cape May Question
West Cape May voters supported the establishment of a Length of Service Awards Program for members of the West Cape May Volunteer Fire Company, with 513 yes votes and 116 no votes.
