A surprise result in tonight’s Ocean Council race might be a very bad sign for Democrats’ chances of avoiding legislative losses in November.
On Tuesday night, the “Ocean United slate” populated by incumbents Robert Acerra, Margie Donlon, David Fisher, John Napolitani, and Kelly Terry won reelection in the Monmouth County community, but Donlon – who was the top votergetter four years ago – fell to fifth pace. Perhaps uncoincidentally, Donlon is simultaneously running for Assembly in LD11 alongside Democrat State Senator Vin Gopal.
“Four years ago, Margie Donlon was the high vote-getter in the Ocean Council race, and tonight she finished dead last on the ‘Ocean United’ ticket of candidates and nearly lost her Council seat,” reacted Tom Szymanski, Executive Director of the New Jersey Republican State Committee. “By running for two offices at the same time and going all-in with the Trenton Democrats, voters are seeing Margie for the self-serving, radical politician she really is.”
“By throwing in with Senator Vin Gopal on his ticket for the State Legislature and embracing his extreme agenda, whether it’s pushing radical and inappropriate school curriculum on our kids, undermining public safety, or stripping school aid to LD11 schools, including Freehold which is now gutting bussing service, voters are waking up to Margie and Vin’s extremism,” Szymanski added.
LD11 is one of the state’s top 2023 battlegrounds alongside LD4 (Gloucester-Camden-Atlantic). In 2021, both Democrat Assembly candidates lost reelection while Gopal survived a relatively close race; the district grew a hair bluer in redistricting but the partisan profile remains extremely competitive.