Heavily Republican Ocean County Goes For Trump And Pence In A Big Way

It was never a question that Donald J. Trump would win Ocean County.

While many counties in North Jersey are Democratic, that is not the case here. Ocean County has been heavily Republican almost since its inception in 1850.

Back in the 1990s, Republican Surrogate Franklin Fischer filed to run for another term. But he died before the November election, too late to take his name off the ballot. He won anyway.

Trump and his running mate Michael Pence received 177,513 votes, or 64.78 percent in Tuesday's election, compared to Hillary Clinton and Timothy Kaine, who received 86,171, or 31.45 percent.

The Republican success at the top trickled down to county races as well.

Freeholder Virginia Haines was the top vote getter in the race for the two, three-year terms on the Ocean County Board of Freeholders, with 148,109 votes, or 32.12 percent. Haines was appointed to the board in January, when Freeholder James F. Lacey retired.

Her running mate, longtime Freeholder John P. Kelly was re-elected to his eighth term on the board, despite problems that surfaced during his current term. Kelly was first elected to the board in 1992, with Lacey.

He received $147,780 or 31.84 percent, according to the Ocean County Clerk's Office.

No Democrats have been elected to the freeholder board since 1989, when Paul C. Brush and Mark A. Troncone took two seats.

Democrats Edward Wolfe and Michael B. Cooke received 78,598 votes and 74,631 votes respectively in yesterday's freeholder race. Independent challenger John Novak - who is also mayor of Barnegat - received 12,713 votes.

Ocean County Sheriff Michael G. Mastronardy swamped his Democrat competition in his quest for a second term. Mastronardy received 165,705 votes, or 67.28 percent. Democrat Sal Ottaviano received 67,019 votes or 27.54 percent. Independent Michael G. Osborne received 12,475 votes, or 5.13 percent.

Of Ocean County's 401, 201 registered voters, 277,656 either went to the polls or voted by mail, according to the county clerk's office.

by Patricia A. Miller

Image: Patch file photo.