Kelly, Haines Win Ocean Commissioners GOP Primary: Unofficial Results

Toms River NJ

07 June, 2022

8:04 PM

Description

Updated, 11:30 p.m. NEW JERSEY — Ocean County Republican voters have chosen incumbents Virginia Haines and John P. "Jack" Kelly as the GOP nominees for two county commissioner seats in the November general election, according to unofficial results. It is the first time in many years that there is a contested Republican primary for the county board. Haines and Kelly were being challenged by Ashley Lamb and Sergio Fossa, who ran on the America First ticket under 4th District congressional candidate Mike Crispi. Crispi was defeated by longtime congressman Chris Smith, who is seeking his 22nd term. Kelly was the top vote-getter, leading with 28,280 votes, while Haines had 28,154. Fossa had 17,141, and Lamb had 17,002, with 413 of 413 districts counted, according to the unofficial tallies from the Ocean County elections website. The results do not become official until certified by the Board of Elections later in June. Haines and Kelly were attacked persistently on their length of service and attacks were directed in particular at the age of Haines. Lamb, who is in the second year of her three-year term on the Toms River Regional Board of Education, and Fossa, pastor of Grace Bible Church, also assailed them as being "part of the establishment" while saying they would bring a new perspective to the board. Haines and Kelly joined the county board while George Gilmore was the Ocean County Republican Party chairman. Gilmore, however, was forced from his chairmanship after he was convicted on federal tax charges in 2019, and has since been on the outs with many longtime Republicans in Ocean County, including Haines, ever since. He has been trying to regain power in the county since a Trump pardon spared him jail time for his federal conviction. The unofficial results as of 11:30 p.m.: Republican Primary Virginia Haines, 28,154John P. "Jack" Kelly, 28,280Ashley Lamb, 17,002Sergio Fossa, 17,141 Democratic Primary Catherine Paura, 15,491Roxanne Barnes, 15,232