Kinney To Scoop Belmar Council Seat By 11 Votes, Per Latest Tally

BELMAR, NJ - Republican Jodi Kinney has an 11-vote lead over Democratic challenger Gerald Buccafusco in the race for a single seat on the Belmar Borough Council to replace Republican council president Pat Wann.

The unofficial results are based on the latest tally from the Monmouth County Clerk’s Office, last updated on Nov. 9. The tally stands at 1,185 votes for Kinney and 1,174 votes for Buccafusco.

Two write-in votes were also cast.

The total votes are a combination of early voting, Election Day ballots and partial mail-in voting. Some Election Day mail-in votes and provisional ballots are left to be included in the final tally.

"After the small ballot count received yesterday, we have been informed by the Board of Elections that there will be no further updates regarding ballot counts until Friday, when they plan to count the provisional ballots," said Monmouth County Clerk Christine Giordano Hanlon in a Nov. 10 statement.

Results are slated to be certified by Nov. 15. The deadline to file a recount application is Nov. 19, per the county’s latest election timeline.

This isn’t the first time Kinney and Bucafusco are vying for Belmar council seats. In 2020, both candidates attempted to unseat Democrat councilman Thomas Brennan.

In the Belmar Board of Education race, Erika Salgado and current member Michele Lomas are poised to have a seat on the board, with 1,265 and 1,249 votes each. One write-in candidate, whose name has not yet been released by the county clerk, is also set to take a seat on the board next year.

You can view the latest vote totals here.